Transformers : Book 3 : The Devil's Gambit
by Deaths-Head
Summary: (Gen 1) The Decepticons under the combined leadership of Galvatron and Megatron, attack Earth ruthlessly. The world will never be the same. FINAL chapter up. R&R please
1. Introduction

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT

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Well, here it is. Book 3 of 5 of my Transformers story. To follow the events chronicled in this story, please read the first book, Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head and Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge. It'll make it easier to follow this one, as this story, more or less picks up from where these first two left off.

Death's Head will feature in a minor role in this story, but will be popping up whenever I write about Galvatron in this one. For info in regards to that, please read my second story.

I know of another bounty hunter by the name of Double-Dealer. If any one has any information in regards to his appearance, if he's a transformer what his vehicle form is, etc, etc, please send it to my email address, located in my profile.

Also, if there is a favourite Transformer people want to see more of, let me know, and I'll see what I can do. If it's a Transformer I'm not aware of, please give me as much info in regards to them, so I can bring them into this story.

In any event, here is the first chapter of Transformers, Book 3 : The Devil's Gambit.

-Death's Head. 


	2. Chapter 1

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT

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Death's Head – I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. There are five characters in this story, which are of my own creation. Outlaw : The new form of Raiden, former Decepticon. Black Autobot, which transforms into a black truck trailer (Kenworth design). Valkyrie : Decepticon femme, who has been brought back as an Autobot. This time, she is a Tripler Changer, a silver futuristic fighter jet and a hover tank (If you've seen the movie Sgt. Bilko, with Steve Martin, the hover tank in that is the same form of Valkyrie's.). Seraphim : Autobot femme, who is the sister of Outlaw. Her vehicle form is that of an F4 McDonnald Douglas Phantom. She is also a Targetmaster. Citadel Supreme : A Decepticon version of Fortress Maximus, now back as the Autobot Fortress Maximus. Alpha Destroyer : Decepticon version of Omega Supreme. 

Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head and Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge. A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

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Chapter one :

The Decepticon space rocket, Alpha Destroyer, hurtled through space, away from Cybertron. Within the hull, the Decepticons who followed their newly returned leader, Megatron, were still patching themselves together. The battle against the followers of Galvatron had been a bloody battle. Then the Autobots interfered. Skywarp and Starscream stood overlooking the repair drones, as they were at work repairing the damaged Decepticons.

Skywarp shook his head.

"That was brutal Starscream. If only those Autobots...."

Starscream snorted.

"Bah! So what? They were just Autobots. We'll get even with them, but right now I want to take out Galvatron and his flunkies."

Skywarp leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest.

"And what about that black Autobot? You saw what he did to Soundwave and his cassettes. Also, look at what the Autobot did to Megatron."

Starscream shrugged.

"So what? Doesn't matter really. All that worries me at the moment, is that black Autobot."

Skywarp studied him.

"Worried Starscream? You?"

Starscream looked at the purple Seeker.

"Trust me Skywarp, if that black Autobot was sent there by Raiden, we are in trouble."

Skywarp was about to say something, when Thundercracker and Soundwave exited the med bay. Soundwave spoke.

"Raiden is Outlaw."

Starscream and Skywarp looked at him, optics wide.

"WHAT?"

Thundercracker nodded.

"Soundwave is correct. Outlaw is the new form of Raiden. The bastard told Soundwave who he was, before blasting a hole in his chest, then turned his rifles on the cassettes. You know what happened to them."

Skywarp raised his arms in a huff.

"Wonderful. Great! Now what do we do? Raiden and Outlaw are one and the same, and he's going to hunt us down. What do we do?"

A low growl answered them from the shadows behind them. As the four Decepticons faced the speaker, he stepped forward.

Soundwave spoke first.

"Mighty Megatron."

Megatron walked towards the the med bay and looked in on the other damamged Decepticons.

"Soundwave, you have knowledge of the process which brought me back to life?"

Soundwave nodded.

"Affirmative. Information kept within Buzzsaw. Buzzsaw still remains... operational."

Thundercracker and Skywarp looked at each other. Of all of Soundwave's cassette's, only the cowardly Buzzsaw remained. Starscream snorted.

"Buzzsaw! The damned coward! Where was he, when he was needed Soundwave? Hiding within you!"

Soundwave turned and pressed a button on his wrist. The effect was instantaneous, as ripples of energy wracked the Air Commander, causing him to scream in agony and fall to his knees. A look of maniacal gleam was etched on Soundwave's face, as he tortured Starscream.

Starscream looked at Soundwave, pleading with him.

"SOUNDWAVE! I'M SORRY! PLEASE, I MEANT NO DISRESPECT!"

Soundwave didn't respond, he just increased the output and a unusual sound was heard by Thundercracker, Skywarp and Megatron. Soundwave chuckling as he continued the torture.

"Buzzsaw superior. Starscream inferiour. Know your place, or I'll do what Outlaw wants to do. Destroy you completely."

As Starscream screamed as bursts of energy erupted from his optics and open mouth, Megatron watched the scene before him with interest. With the destruction of all the cassettes, with the exception of Buzzsaw and Ratbat (Who had escaped Cybertron with Galvatron.), the others were destroyed utterly by Outlaw. Megatron sensed the madness he had felt when he became Galvatron (Now thankfully was still with the demented Galvatron, and not him.), was starting to take root within Soundwave.

"Soundwave. Release him. He's no use to me dead."

Soundwave glared at Starscream, before pressing the button again, ending Starscream's torture. Skywarp spoke to Soundwave.

"How did you do that?"

Soundwave faced the dark Seeker.

"Raiden was no fool. He knew of Starscream's past, and wanted a guarantee of the Air Commander's loyalty. He designed into the empty head of Starscream, a neural feedback shunt. Once activated, the victim would be tortured by minute bursts of plasma energy within them."

Thundercracker glanced, nervously, at Soundwave.

"Did Raiden do the same to us Soundwave?"

Soundwave gave a short chuckle.

"Disobey Lord Megatron and find out."

Megatron watched the two other Seeker's process the information, and smiled. Soundwave would be forever loyal to Megatron, and seeing the sadistic act of torture carried out on Starscream, he was glad of that.

"Soundwave, can the process be used to bring other deactivated Decepticons back?"

Soundwave faced Megatron and nodded.

"Affirmative."

Megatron smiled.

"And the Decepticons who fell at Autobot City, they would've been placed inside one of the Autobots Mausoleum shuttles and launched into space, correct?"

Soundwave, knew where Megatron was heading.

"Affirmative. I have already begun preliminary designs on restoring the fallen Decepticons within that shuttle. Alpha Destroyer has already begun scanning for the shuttle."

Megatron smiled.

"Excellent. When we find that shuttle, and resurrect the Decepticons within, the whole universe will tremble before our might!"

Skywarp frowned.

"And what about Outlaw? He is far more stronger and faster than when he was Raiden. And if he has Death's Head with him...."

Megatron allowed an evil and twisted smile to spread over his face.

"Simple loyal Skywarp. We destory them utterly."

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Death's Head : The first chapter is up. If any of this chapter is a little hard to follow, please, please, please, PLEASE read my first two Transformer stories : Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head and Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge. This story is a continuation of events already laid down and started in these two stories. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as I've got some ideas. Here's a little question for you all : The next chapter should focus on A> The demented Galvatron and his forces, B> Everyone's favourite Freelance Peacekeeping Agent Death's Head as he heads back to Earth or C> Outlaw and the Autobots on Cybertron searching for the hidden Autobase within Cybertron? If I get two reviews of people requesting one of the above, then the one they chose, will be the main focus for Chapter 2. 

Also, please, five reviews before I continue. That way I'll know people are reading it. R&R please.


	3. Chapter 2

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT

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Death's Head – I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. There are five characters in this story, which are of my own creation. Outlaw : The new form of Raiden, former Decepticon. Black Autobot, which transforms into a black truck trailer (Kenworth design). Valkyrie : Decepticon femme, who has been brought back as an Autobot. This time, she is a Tripler Changer, a silver futuristic fighter jet and a hover tank (If you've seen the movie Sgt. Bilko, with Steve Martin, the hover tank in that is the same form of Valkyrie's.). Seraphim : Autobot femme, who is the sister of Outlaw. Her vehicle form is that of an F4 McDonnald Douglas Phantom. She is also a Targetmaster. Citadel Supreme : A Decepticon version of Fortress Maximus, now back as the Autobot Fortress Maximus. Alpha Destroyer : Decepticon version of Omega Supreme. 

Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head and Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge. A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

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At that exact moment, onboard Scorpononk : 

Galvatron sat upon his throne, deep in thought. The defeat his warriors had suffered at the hands of Megatron was on his mind. The dementia that had once become his trademark, had lessened quite dramatically, that he was now capable of thinking strategies and planning his next move. He knew that the Decepticons with him, were loyal, to a point. Of them all, only Cyclonus, Scourge and Triggerhappy could truly be trusted. A grimace crossed his face as he counted how many troops he had left. Fourteen Decepticon Micromasters, Mindwipe, Wierdwolf, Apeface, Snapdragon, the Horrorcons, Dreadwind, Darkwing, Six-Shot as well as Scorpononk.

Cyclonus approached his leader, apprehension in his steps. Galvatron watched him.

** They still think I'm possessed by the dementia I had before. Huh, little do they know how clear my thoughts are. Better they think I'm still mad, that way I know who I can trust. **

Cyclonus bowed.

"My lord Galvatron. Scourge has some news you may find useful."

Galvatron snorted.

"Scourge? Useful information? From Him? HAH!"

Galvatron stood, and stormed out of the room, Cyclonus right behind him. Galvatron smiled to himself. Scourge was indeed a useful Decepticon. He had brought the Constructicons back and rebuilt them, even though they joined his past self. No matter, if the fallen bodies the Tracker had in his lab could be salvaged...

The doors to Scourge's lab slid open, and Galvatron walked in. Inisde Scourge, Fracas and Ratbat faced him.

Scourge bowed.

"Mighty Galvatron."

Ratbat flapped his wings.

"Why do you have these bodies here? We should've brought back others who could've been repaired, not lifeless husks like these."

Scourge faced Ratbat.

"Have a care rodent. The information within them is important, more important than you!"

Before Ratbat could reply, Cyclonus spoke.

"Scourge, Ratbat has a point. We didn't need to bring the dead with us."

Scourge chuckled.

"I am surrounded by incompetents." He faced Galvatron "Of course, you are the exception my lord."

Galvatron allowed one of his old evil smiles to cross his face.

"Oh, but of course Scourge. You never meant me in your statement!" He walked towards the table and picked up one of the heads "And you say these things are useful?"

Scourge nodded, and was about to speak when he remembered Ratbat. He motioned at the cassette. Galvatron glared at Ratbat.

"Leave. NOW!"

Ratbat muttered something and flew out the room. Fracas, knowing his presence wasn't required, left the room as well. Cyclonus locked the door, so no one could enter, and faced his friend and his leader.

"Well Scourge? Can it be done?"

Scourge laughed.

"Of course! The information encoded in their CPU's is the same information Raiden used to bring our 'others' back from the dead! I've already altered the same procedure on how I brought the Constructicons back, and have made it ready for your use Lord Galvatron. All we need are the bodies."

Galvatron looked at the wrecks on the table, and noticed one missing.

"You're one short Scourge."

Scourge nodded, a smile on his face as he motioned at the wrecked parts on the table.

"You think I'd be stupid enough not to of tested this procedure out, before calling you here? Not only have I brought one of these back," he pointed to a screen next to Galvatron "But I also have my Sweeps!"

Galvatron and Cyclonus looked towards the screen, and saw three Sweeps outfitting themselves with weaponry. Galvatron nodded.

"And what else? There are others in this room with us."

Scourge's smile broadened.

"Of course! Raiden brought Thundercracker, Skywarp and Megatron from the original programming within our CPU's. When Unicron created us, he just put the other programming behind a firewall protectorate. In the case of our 'guests' here, I broke it, and brought THEM back."

Galvatron and Cyclonus faced the rear of the room, as Bombshell, Shrapnel and Kickback stood there.

"WE'RE BACK!!!" cackled Shrapnel.

Bombshell and Kickback flexed their arms and looked at Galvatron.

"Believe it or not Galvatron, we're with you. We want revenge on Starscream for what he did to us, all those years ago."

Kickback nodded.

"Yeah, I want to blast a hole in him, and let him drift in space. Preferably near a Black Hole!"

Cyclonus laughed.

"Now, we have the means to bring our comrades who fell at Autobot City back!"

Another voice spoke.

"I got no problem with Megs or the other scrap rejects with him, but leave Soundwave alone." 

Galvatron faced the speaker.

"He betrayed me. It was he who handed the information to Raiden which brought Megatron back, as well as Thundercracker and Skywarp. Why shouldn't we destroy him?"

The speaker walked towards the table his comrades were on, and leaped on top of it. He faced Galvatron.

"Because Soundwave didn't know what he was doing. He was reacting to a program hidden within him, a program installed by Raiden, when Soundwave first came back to Cybertron."

Cyclonus frowned.

"And how did Raiden do that? Soundwave was always in the command center with Megatron and the others."

The speaker sighed.

"Soundwave was tricked by Raiden, into having a maintenance check done on all of his systems. Raiden put the program into Soundwave's CPU, when he was deactivated for the repairs and check up. Raiden activated it, while Soundwave was doing a check on Galvatron. That was how Soundwave got that programming from you."

Galvatron's mind was racing as he remembered. Ever since that check up, he had begun to think things through more thoroughly. 

"So, I should thank Raiden, for what he did. If he didn't have Soundwave...." he stopped and faced the speaker "Fine, your master is safe from me Frenzy."

The red and black Decepticon smiled and folded his arms across his chest.

"Good, then, speaking on behalf of my comrades," motions at the other cassettes "You have our aid."

Scourge looked up, a look of shock on his face. He glared at Frenzy.

"Frenzy, you said all of the cassette's had the info to bring dead back. Does that include Buzzsaw?"

Frenzy's smile vanished.

"Yeah, and knowing the little coward, he's probably told Megatron." his optics went wide "They could be looking for the Decepticons from the battle on Earth!"

Galvatron nodded.

"Then we have to get them first. Scourge, how is our little 'friend' doing?"

Scourge pressed a button, and the screen showed an image of an Autobot inside a holding cell.

"Fully operational. The hidden programming will not be detected by the Autobots, until it's too late of course."

Galvatron smiled.

"Good work Scourge. Get a shuttle ready. If the Autobot can get the information on where the fallen Decepticons are, it'll make things very easy for us."

Sitting slumped against the wall of his cell the Autobot sighed as he rubbed his shoulder, where the beam from Fracas had taken his arm off, aboard that shuttle so long ago. He thought he had taken the Sweeps and Constructicons with him, when he activated the self destruct. He was wrong.

He looked up at the ceiling and sighed again.

"Well Rollbar my lad, you're in deep sludge now."

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Death's Head : Here's the second chapter. I've got more planned for Galvatron and his group, as well as the cassettes. How will Soundwave react to their return? What's gonna happen when Megatron and Galvatron get in a room together? Heh, find out in later chapters. The next one has Death's Head back on Earth and also a little more history about Outlaw/Raiden, Valkrie and Seraphim. But hey, if Death's Head is in it, it should be good, yes? R&R please. 


	4. Chapter 3

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT

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Death's Head – I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. There are five characters in this story, which are of my own creation. Outlaw : The new form of Raiden, former Decepticon. Black Autobot, which transforms into a black truck trailer (Kenworth design). Valkyrie : Decepticon femme, who has been brought back as an Autobot. This time, she is a Tripler Changer, a silver futuristic fighter jet and a hover tank (If you've seen the movie Sgt. Bilko, with Steve Martin, the hover tank in that is the same form of Valkyrie's.). Seraphim : Autobot femme, who is the sister of Outlaw. Her vehicle form is that of an F4 McDonnald Douglas Phantom. She is also a Targetmaster. Citadel Supreme : A Decepticon version of Fortress Maximus, now back as the Autobot Fortress Maximus. Alpha Destroyer : Decepticon version of Omega Supreme. 

Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head and Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge. A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

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Autobot City, Earth :

The 'VULTURE' landed on one of two remaining landing pads, and as Death's Head stepped out of his ship, his gaze wandered over the ruins. The battle of Autobot City had been particularly vicious, heavy casulities on both sides. As he walked away from the pad, he looked over at the lake and saw the ruined Fortress Maximus lying there. He sighed as he remembered that there was another Fortress Maximus on Cybertron, who had once been the Decepticon Citadel Supreme. While he walked along, he saw the Technobots were still conducting repairs to Metroplex, who was laid out next to the ruined city. 

As he stopped and watched them, the old warrior Kup, approached him.

"Death's Head, what brings you back here? Thought you were still after Megatron and the lunatic who brought him back?"

Death's Head faced Kup.

"Raiden dead. Now he's Outlaw, and he's an Autobot. Bad news, yes?"

Kup sighed and rested his hands on his hips.

"About time he came back to us. I take it that femme of his, Valkyrie, is an Autobot as well, right?"

Death's Head nodded as he turned and headed towards the buildings, Kup following.

"Raiden, Valkyrie and Seraphim, three of the most brilliant strategists, scientists and warriors ever to have been Autobots. They've created marvels together on Cybertron, before the war that was."

Death's Head looked at Kup as they walked along.

"Thought Raiden was only a few thousand years old? Same with Seraphim and Valkyrie. You know something about them, better tell me, yes?"

Kup nodded.

"Yeah, they were created about a hundred years before Optimus and the Autobots with him, left Cybertron. The three of them served Emirate Xaaron for some time, and helped me and my lads out on quite a few occasions." He sighed "And then Shanix captured them. They were his prisoners for a thousand years, wasting away in the holding cells of Polyhex. Myself, Hot Rod, Blurr, Dogfight, Backstreet and Guzzle managed to break into the cells to free Sizzle, Fizzle and Override from under Astrotrain's nose."

Death's Head snorted.

"Astrotrain. For a Decepticon he was sort of smart. Smarter than the other two."

Kup smiled.

"Yeah, that he was. But it was Dogfight who had found them, near total system shutdown. Raiden, however, had managed to hack into the power system for the cells, and rerouted the power into himself, Seraphim and Valkyrie. Nearly blew their circuits completely, but fully energised them. Raiden told me to get the others clear, while he causes a distraction to get the Decepticons away from the cells. Seraphim and Valkyrie went with him. The three of them blew up one of the main power generators, shutting down over half of the base's systems."

Kup paused as he remembered what happened next.

"Hot Rod and myself, witnessed their capture by Ratbat, who had Seraphim and Valkyrie destroyed. Raiden threw himself at bat, but was cut down by Astrotrain and Blitzwing. Ratbat had Raiden brought to a lab, where he conducted some sort of experiment on him, which subdued his Autobot programming. I remember seeing the look on Optimus's face when he heard of the destruction and subversion of Raiden and the two femmes. He was distraught, as was Dogfight."

Death's Head looked at Kup.

"Dogfight and Seraphim..."

"Yeah, they had something going. And when she was repaired and sent here, centuries later, Dogfight followed. He got another shock, when she didn't remember their relationship. Oh, she knew him, but only treated him as a comrade in arms."

Death's Head chuckled.

"Now I know why Dogfight was always protective of her."

Kup nodded.

"Yeah, Dogfight tends to overreact about things."

Death's Head stopped and faced Kup.

"So why tell me?"

Kup looked at the freelance peacekeeping agent.

"Because of your relationship with Raiden. You know how he thinks, how he acts and..."

Death's Head raised a hand to stop Kup.

"Correction. I knew Raiden. I do not know Outlaw. Outlaw acts completely different from Raiden and from what I saw on Cybertron, he's completely unpredictable and dangerous." A smile appeared in his optics "Need more Autobots with those qualities, yes?"

Before Kup could respond, Arcee approached the two.

"Ah, there you are Death's Head. Rodimus Prime is waiting for you, if you'd like to follow me..."

Death's Head nodded at her, then looked at Kup.

"Kup, at the moment there's only one thing out there which worries me. Not Megatron or Galvatron. Not the Decepticons or the Mechannibals. Not even Scraplets. Outlaw though, HE worries me, yes?"

Death's Head turned and walked off with Arcee, leaving Kup by himself. The veteran warrior sighed and shook his head, as he remembered the past.

"Damn it all. Raiden was always ahead of his time in all things. Now, what is he planning?"

Inside the office of Rodimus Prime :

Death's Head was lounging in the same chair he had sat in before the recent battle there. Rodimus looked at him.

"So, you want to go after Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge again? 10,000 shanix was the reward I offered then, and as it stands, you were the only one who had gotten so close to achieving it."

Death's Head studied the young leader.

"How did you guess? My, my, you must be a mind reader, yes?"

Rodimus smiled as he sat down.

"I just remember what happened last time Death's Head. And yes, I still intend to honour that contract. But remember, we altered it. 10,000 for Cyclonus and Scourge. With Galvatron, I'll make the total 30,000 shanix."

Death's Head nodded.

"Reasonable amount considering who I'm hunting. Any other of my 'associates' sighted in this sector?"

Rodimus nodded.

"One. Double-Dealer."

Death's Head's optics narrowed.

"Double-Dealer. I've run into him before with Raiden, yes? Never liked him."

Rodimus leaned back in the chair.

"I've heard. Where was it again, the mechanical world of Scarvix. A hive of robotic mechanical violence and disturbance. Bad place to live."

"Good place for business, yes?" Death's Head stood, his torn red cloak flowing "I'll be on my way, after you tell me the transponder frequency of the shuttle with the dead Decepticons on it."

Rodimus looked at him, a puzzled look on his face.

"The transponder signal? Why?"

Death's Head turned.

"If I was Galvatron, and I needed troops, I'd head after that shuttle, and reactivate the Decepticons on board, with the same way they brought the Constructicons back. Know what that means, yes?"

Rodimus nodded, his face pale.

"Oh wonderful..."

"Indeed. The frequency..."

Rodimus pressed a few buttons, and gave the code of the frequency to Death's Head. He looked at him.

"Death's Head, honestly, can you stop them?"

Death's Head shrugged.

"Don't know. Depends."

Depends? Depends on what?"

Death's Head opened the door and looked at Rodimus.

"Depends on Outlaw. He's after Megatron. Megatron may have same idea as Galvatron. In any event, that shuttle will soon be full."

Rodimus looked at the screen.

"Death's Head, if you can find out where Galvatron is, and when he's going to be at the shuttle, I'll get three shuttles of Autobots out there."

Death's Head shrugged.

"Makes no differences to me, as long as I get paid."

"You will."

Death's Head walked out of the room and headed towards the landing pad. Rodimus leaned back in his chair, and started to think about the mess the Autobots were in.

"It's days like this that make me wish I was still Hot Rod."

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Death's Head : Third chapter up and one more to go. I've alread written the first four chapters, so I thought why not upload them now and see what kind of reviews I get. Also, I'm going away for about a month or two, and I'm not working on this, or any other of my stories during that time. Read, enjoy and let me know what you think. 


	5. Chapter 4

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT

**********************************************

Death's Head – I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. There are five characters in this story, which are of my own creation. Outlaw : The new form of Raiden, former Decepticon. Black Autobot, which transforms into a black truck trailer (Kenworth design). Valkyrie : Decepticon femme, who has been brought back as an Autobot. This time, she is a Tripler Changer, a silver futuristic fighter jet and a hover tank (If you've seen the movie Sgt. Bilko, with Steve Martin, the hover tank in that is the same form of Valkyrie's.). Seraphim : Autobot femme, who is the sister of Outlaw. Her vehicle form is that of an F4 McDonnald Douglas Phantom. She is also a Targetmaster. Citadel Supreme : A Decepticon version of Fortress Maximus, now back as the Autobot Fortress Maximus. Alpha Destroyer : Decepticon version of Omega Supreme. 

Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head and Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge. A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

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Deep within Cybertron :

Outlaw snarled as he threw a piece of rubble into the wall of the abandoned Autobase. He, Optimus Prime, Seraphim, Kari, Valkyrie, Grimlock, Jazz and Dogfight had found the base after a long search through the vast underground tunnel network starting from Iacon, they had finally found the ancient base. Outlaw was about to smash another console, when Valkyrie put her hand on his shoulder.

"Outlaw, calm down. Think of hard this must be for Optimus."

Outlaw looked over at Optimus. Optimus was standing next to the command chair in Ops, a faraway look on his face. Seraphim joined them, Kari sitting on her shoulder.

"This was Elita-1's command, and you remember how close she and Optimus were."

Outlaw nodded.

"Indeed. Valkyrie, Seraphim, download the computer core memory. Perhaps there's some information there we could use. And tell Grimlock and the others to hurry up and finsih their sweep of the base."

As Seraphim and Valkyrie headed off, Kari looked at Optimus, then spoke softly to her partner.

"Seraphim, don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way or such, but I take it this Elita-1 was the lover of Optimus Prime?"

Seraphim nodded. 

"You could tell?"

Kari thought to herself, and then spoke.

"He has the look of a lover who's just realised his partner has gone." She paused, a confused look on her face "But your robots? How can you experience love?"

Valkyrie looked at Kari.

"We're not just robots Kari, we're sentient life forms. We feel and express the same sort of emotions as you do. After all, Outlaw and myself both feel hatred and want revenge against Megatron and the others."

Seraphim looked at Valkyrie from the corner of her optics.

"Is that all? I thought you and my brother were closer than that."

Valkyrie paused and looked at Seraphim, a smile on her face.

"And woudln't you like to know. Come on, we've got work to do."

Seraphim watched her go, and spoke to Kari.

"Kari, we may be robots, and to humanoid life forms, we may seem incapable of the same type of emotions you feel and experience. But we do feel and experience the same things you do. For example, Optimus Prime and the base commander here, Elita-1, had a relationship together. One which lasted for quite some time, before he left Cybertron. He always thought he could come back to her, and to find out she's not here..."

Kari finished.

"But lost somewhere in space."

Seraphim nodded.

"How do you think he's feeling?"

Kari looked at Optimus, who had moved over next to Outlaw, who was busy going through the data. She sighed.

"Poor guy."

Seraphim nodded, and left the control room with Kari.

Outlaw, meanwhile, was cursing to himself.

"Dammit all! Looks like part of the mainframe got slagged. Gonna have to see if I can run a bypass, around the damaged circuitry..."

Optimus looked at the screen.

"Hold. Outlaw look at this. There are some other Autobots here, but they're in stasis lock."

Outlaw looked at the screen, optics narrow.

"Or, could be some Decepticons, waiting to spring a trap on anyone foolish enough to let them out."

Optimus looked at him.

"You're a very cynical robot now aren't you?"

Outlaw chuckled.

"Well, being blown to kingdom come, and getting refused to be allowed to crossover, does tend to change one."

"I've been deactivated numerous times, and yet I'm not as cynical as you are." he paused, a thoughtful look on his face "At least, I don't think I am."

Outlaw faced the legendary Autobot, an incredulous look on his face.

"You? Cynical? Never."

Optims sighed and shook his head.

"You may be called Outlaw, but you still act like the Raiden I remember, all those centuries ago."

Outlaw leaned over the console.

"Why fix something, when it has already attained perfection? Besides, you know what I'm like."

Optimus turned and leaned against the console.

"True, true. I remember what you were like back then. Especially when I had tried to get Seraphim and Valkyrie assigned to Elita-1 and her unit."

Outlaw stopped and leaned back in the chair, his gaze staring back through time.

"I was against it. To the point I crippled the power relays if Iacon. Trapping you and Elita in a lift, for how long?"

Optimus chuckled.

"In human terms, around 7 days and nights! Elita and myself were furious with you."

Outlaw smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"So? Emirate Xaaron had warned the both of you, not to seperate myself, Valkyrie or Seraphim. You brought it on yourself."

Optimus looked at the dark Autobot.

"Outlaw, tell me something. In Polyhex...."

The smile disappeared off of his face, and Outlaw looked back at the screen.

"Don't ask me that Optimus."

The elder Autobot studied the younger robot. 

"Outlaw..."

Before he could finish, Jazz's voice came over the comm.

"Guys, we found something down here outside stasis bay 18, I think the both of you are gonna want to see."

Outlaw spoke.

"What is it Jazz?"

His reply was more or less the same.

"I think it'd be best for the two of you to see this with your own optics. Trust me, your gonna be stumped!"

Outlaw and Optimus looked at each other, then left the control room, heading towards the stasis level.

In the computer core :

Valkyrie smiled.

"Download complete. How about you Sera?"

Seraphim looked at her screen. Both she and Valkyrie had downloaded the entire core into the portable units with them.

"Just about done and... Hello, look's like I found something here."

Valkyrie walked over to her.

"What's up?"

Seraphim pressed some buttons and studied the information before her.

"We'd better tell Outlaw and Optimus. They're going to want to know this before we do anything else."

Seraphim finished the download, and left the room. Valkyrie looked at Kari and picked her up.

"Well, shall we?"

Kari rolled her eyes.

"Lead the way."

Valkyrie caught up with Seraphim in the hall.

"Must be something pretty big for you to get all excited about it."

Seraphim nodded.

"Bigger than Megatron, Galvatron and Alpha Destroyer all rolled into one entity."

Valkyrie looked at her friend.

"Bigger than even... Unicron?"

Seraphim shook her head.

"No, but trouble for all Autobots." She looked at her scanner "Outlaw's in the stasis deck. That's just around the corner..."

As both femmes stepped around the corner, Seraphim lost her voice. Outlaw looked at her.

"Seems this base isn't as intact as we thought it to be."

The corridor outside of stasis bay 18, was carved away, vaporied into the surrounding metal, was a dark tunnel. Valkyrie peered down the tunnel.

"Nice."

Outlaw nodded and transformed into his truck trailer form. 

"I'm going to have a little look down here. You wanna follow, be my guest but have your scanners on full spectrum and metallurgical analysis."

As Outlaw started down the tunnel, Valkyrie had grabbed a hold of his trailer and climbed onto the side of it. Both Autobots disappeared into the gloom. Grimlock snorted.

"They full of themselves. Get us in trouble."

Jazz chuckled.

"And what about you, tall dark and grusome? You get us in trouble everywhere you go."

Before Grimlock could respond, Outlaw's voice came back over the comm unit in the wrist of Optimus.

"I think you lot had better get down here now! You're not gonna believe the size of this guy here."

Optimus transformed and drove down the tunnel. Seraphim, with Kari sitting in her arms, flew down the tunnel, leaving Dogfight, Jazz and Grimlock alone. Grimlock spoke first.

"Me don't like this. Me follow."

Grimlock activated the jet's in the back of his Pretender shell and flew down the corridor. Jazz and Dogfight looked at each other.

"After you Dogfight."

Dogfight groaned.

"Wonderful."

The Triggerbot transformed and flew down the tunnel, leaving Jazz by himself.

"Why am I always left by myself in situations like this? I mean, do I always bring these things on myself or what?" He paused and looked around "And why am I standing here, talking to myself? I'm nuts!"

Jazz turned and hurried down the tunnel, where he got the biggest surprise of his life.

***********************************************

Death's Head : Fourth chapter up, and no more for a few weeks. Taking a well deserved break. By the way, if there's any other Autobot or Decepticon, from Generation 1 or Generation 2, you want to see in this story, tell me who it is and a little bit about them, and I'll see what I can do. Also, I need some info on Elita-1 and her troops, as the're going to be playing an integral role in this, and the other two stories I have planned. In any event, R&R please. 


	6. Chapter 5

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

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**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. There are five characters in this story, which are of my own creation. Outlaw : The new form of Raiden, former Decepticon. Black Autobot, which transforms into a black truck trailer (Kenworth design). Valkyrie : Decepticon femme, who has been brought back as an Autobot. This time, she is a Tripler Changer, a silver futuristic fighter jet and a hover tank (If you've seen the movie Sgt. Bilko, with Steve Martin, the hover tank in that is the same form of Valkyrie's.). Seraphim : Autobot femme, who is the sister of Outlaw. Her vehicle form is that of an F4 McDonnald Douglas Phantom. She is also a Targetmaster. Citadel Supreme : A Decepticon version of Fortress Maximus, now back as the Autobot Fortress Maximus. Alpha Destroyer : Decepticon version of Omega Supreme.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Chapter Two :_**

**__**

**_Elsewhere :_**

A small shuttlepod was speeding towards Cybertron. It's occupant, the Throttlebot known as Rollbar, sat hunched over the controls. It had been, by his reckoning, 5 days since he left Scorpononk and the demented Galvatron and his group of Decepticons.

Rollbar sighed.

"Damn that Tracker! Scourge is a true evil." he shook his head.

The proximity alarm screeched, jolting Rollbar from his thoughts.

"Hmmm... What's out there now?"

As he looked out the viewscreen, his optics widenend as he saw a mausoleum shuttle was before him. 

"What do we have here then..."

He piloted the shuttle over the top of the vessel, taking in account of how big the ship was. He then noticed how much energy was left in his shuttlepod and rolled his optics.

"Oh great! Near empty. I hope this shuttle's repair bay has some spare energon cells I can use."

The small shuttlepod flew into the entrance hanger and touched down in front of two massive doors. When Rollbar stepped out of his vessel, his optics went wide.

"This is a Decepticon mausoleum shuttle?"

Emblazoned on the front of the doors, was a large Decepticon emblem. Rollbar couldn't believe his optics, and rechecked all of his systems.

"I don't believe this. Still, what do I care. I need to get those cells."

Rollbar walked up to the massive doorframe, his hand touched the sensor seal on the side, which opened the doors before him. As he crossed the threshold, machinery whirred and computers activated. A holographic form of Optimus Prime appeared before him.

_"To be viewing this message, then it must be a Decepticon who has activated the sensor seal on the entrance doors."_

Rollbar looked at the hologram, shock on his face. According to what the hologram said, only a Decepticon could gain access to the shuttle's interior. He couldn't believe it.

"I'm not a Decepticon, I'm an Autobot!"

The hologram continued, ignoring his outburst.

_"Onboard this shuttle, are the Decepticons who fell in battle during the second battle for Autobot City. Our medical teams, have done their best to ensure that the fallen here have had all the wounds upon their forms repaired and placed with care in the crypt. They fought as true warriors, and are deserving of the respect, the Autobots can give. This gesture is done, in a hope that we, Autobots and Decepticons, can one day exist together, in peace."_

With that said, the hologram disappeared, leaving Rollbar alone.

"Great, just great! I'm in a morgue of Decepticons!" the Throttlebot shook his head, as he walked over to a console "Still, let's see what the computer systems can tell me, in regards to this 'Second battle for Autobot City'. Can't believe there was another assault there."

Rollbar read the screen, as the information he wanted was revealed to him.

However, unknown to the Throttlebot, a shadow moved silently amongst the other shadows.

"Well, well, well, the Autobot is back. Thought he was dead. He's different though. Decepticons recreated him. Going to watch him. Still, Galvatron will soon be here, so I had better make sure I'm ready, yes?"

The freelance peacekeeping agent, Death's Head, blended back into the shadows.

**_***********************************************_**

**_An Autobot shuttle, hidden in the rings of Saturn :_**

Rodimus Prime frowned. Ever since the last communication update from Death's Head, three hours earlier, he was pacing back on forth on the bridge of his shuttle. Kup looked at him.

"Calm down lad. All this pacing, is just going to make your joints dry up."

Rodimus looked at the veteran warrior, a wry smile on his face.

"I know Kup, but I'm worried. Ever since Teletran II detected two massive warships - most probably Alpha Destroyer and Scorpononk - I think I've got just cause to be worried."

Kup nodded.

"Aye, and knowing the two Decepticons in charge of those ships, I think it'd be best if we prayed for Unicron to appear again. At least we know how to beat him."

Blaster looked up.

"Rodimus, just caught a message from Cybertron for you. Patching it through."

Rodimus turned and faced the console before him, as the visage of Emirate Xaaron looked at him.

"Rodimus Prime, good to see you again."

Rodimus nodded.

"It's good to see that you're still functioning. From what we received from Optimus, you were in pretty bad shape."

Emirate Xaaron smiled.

"I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for Seraphim. Or for her brother Outlaw and his femme Valkyrie."

Kup looked over the shoulder of Rodimus.

"Outlaw and Valkyrie still together, eh Xaaron?"

Emirate Xaaron nodded.

"That they are. Even after all this time."

Kup smiled and walked back to his seat.

"They're a good couple."

Rodimus rolled his optics.

"I take it, this isn't a social call Emirate Xaaron. What's wrong?"

Emirate settled himself in his chair before continuing.

"Outlaw and a small group have left Cybertron, heading towards a small planetoid, near the Paradon system."

Rodimus paused.

"Paradon? Wasn't that the same system, Sandstorm was from?"

Emirate Xaaron nodded.

"The one and the same Rodimus. The same system Galvatron leeched energy from."

Rodimus sat down in his chair, a puzzled look on his face.

"But why are they heading out there?"

Emirate Xaaron paused.

"Because, judging from some information Seraphim and Valkyrie found in the ruins of the Femme Autobase, this planetoid, could be the resting place of Elita-1 and her femmes."

Kup and Blaster looked at each other, then at Rodimus.

"Elita-1..."

"Her femme force..."

Rodimus was about to speak, when the ship's proximity alarm shrieked. He looked at another screen, optics wide.

"Oh wonderful. Emirate Xaaron, I'll contact you shortly. We've got Decepticon trouble here."

Emirate Xaaron nodded again.

"I'll leave you to it. One other thing, in this Autobase, a body was found in one of the stasis chambers. Looks like a recent addition. I'll get some of my units to check it out, and let you know. Xaaron out."

Rodimus faced Kup.

"Kup, alert all our forces and have them prepared for action. As soon as we received the go ahead from Death's Head..."

Blaster spun in his chair.

"It'll be game time."

**_***********************************************_**

_Death's Head -_     I've been bored on my 'forced' holiday, so I decided to write some more. Why? Because I've got way too many ideas running around in my head, and I had to get them written ASAP. Also, in the next chapter I'm introducing some new characters, so I thought I had better get it up now, before I forget them. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten what is hidden in the chamber behind the stasis chamber in that Autobase, I'm just planning on building up some suspense for it. After all, all good things come to those who wait, and this is gonna be one BIG surprise, yes? R&R please. 


	7. Chapter 6

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

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**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

Right, here's a new little bit for my disclaimer. I thought it'd be easier if I have at the very top, the usual disclaimer (Which is done.) and then have another part listing MY characters (They're mine! I thought of them, I created them, therefore they're mine. If you want to use them in one of your stories, send me an email, and I may let you use them. I just want to know which fanfic they're going to be used in, so I can read up on them), so here goes :

**Outlaw :** The new form of Raiden, former Decepticon. Black Autobot, which transforms into a black truck trailer (Kenworth design). **Valkyrie :** Decepticon femme, who has been brought back as an Autobot. This time, she is a Tripler Changer, a silver futuristic fighter jet and a hover tank. **Seraphim :** Autobot femme, who is the sister of Outlaw. Her vehicle form is that of an F4 McDonnald Douglas Phantom. She is also a Targetmaster. **Citadel Supreme :** A Decepticon version of Fortress Maximus, now back as the Autobot Fortress Maximus. **Alpha Destroyer :** Decepticon version of Omega Supreme.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Aboard Scorpononk :_**

Scourge looked over the ten shells he had created. It had taken him some time, but with all the spare parts he had on hand, he managed to succeed in his quest. Energon was already pumping through the shells, and he was just finishing off the CPU and personality programs of the new Decepticons.

The tracker leaned back, his hand on the side of his face.

"Finally, that's done. By the time we reach the mausoleum, Galvatron will have ten new warriors. I just hope he doesn't decide to blast me into pieces when he finds out that they're femmes." Scourge sighed "Why did I let Cyclonus and Triggerhappy talk me into created Decepticon femmes? I must be out of my mind!"

"Talkin to yourself again Scourge? That's the first sign of madness."

Scourge turned his head and looked at the speaker.

"Tell me Triggerhappy, why femmes?"

Triggerhappy walked into the room, and looked intently at one of the femme shells, a orange and white Seeker.

"Why not?"

Scourge groaned.

"Answering questions with questions. Triggerhappy, you've changed."

The targetmaster leaned against the bench.

"I know. I think we all have Scourge. What with Unicron, the battle on Earth for the Key to Vector Sigma. Even the recent battles at Autobot City and on Cybertron, I guess I'm sick of it."

Scourge studied his comrade.

"Sick of it? Sick of all the fighting, and everything?"

Triggerhappy nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Which brings me, once again to these femmes. Why do we need them? I mean, we're making them so they can fight. Is that right? To force our own ideals and objectives onto them?" He pointed at the orange and white femme "Primus! You had to use MY own CPU and memory engrams to form a suitable program for this femme."

Scourge looked at him.

"So? I had to use my own for the crimson one, Cyclonus for the white and green one, Dreadwind for the grey and black femme, Six-Shot for the silver and brown femme and Darkwing for the dark blue and black one! To be honest, I would've like to have snuck into the processing and development stations on Cybertron, but thanks to Zarek, I just had to use the production plant here to create these bodies."

Triggerhappy folded his arms across his chest.

"And what about those four within the crimson one? Where'd you get the engrams for them?"

Scourge looked at the mech in question.

"Well, seeing as we have the remaining spy cassettes here…"

Triggerhappy groaned.

"You used them? This is going to be great!"

Scourge shrugged.

"So? They'll do their job, and do it well. Besides, if they perform well for Galvatron, that's all I care about."

Before Triggerhappy could respond, Cyclonus walked into the lab.

"Are they finished Scourge? We'll be in range of the shuttle with our comrades in it, shortly."

Scourge looked at a screen, and smiled.

"Just about. The download into their CPU's is complete. They'll know exactly what we know, in regards to who we are and who are enemies are."

Triggerhappy looked at Scourge.

"And what are you going to call them? Femme 1, Femme 2?"

Scourge smiled.

"I decided to let them name themselves. That will show how well their CPU and memory units function." Scourge pressed a button "Scourge to Galvatron. The, uhh, special project, is complete."

Galvatron's response was prompt.

"And let me guess Scourge, you want ME to come down to YOUR lab, and act friendly towards them? How about I blow you out the airlock!"

Scourge swallowed, while Cyclonus and Triggerhappy tried their best not to laugh.

"My lord, it's just that in the lab, if anything goes wrong with their activation, I can deactivate them easily and work out the problem with them."

Galvatron snarled.

"Well, I guess that makes sense, I think. I'm on my way, and this had better not be a disappointment, or else! Galvatron out."

Scourge swallowed again, as Cyclonus slapped him on the back.

"Nicely played my friend."

Scourge sighed.

"And what is he going to do to me, when he finds out these new mechs are femmes?"

Triggerhappy was about to say something, when the doors opened and in walked Galvatron.

"Well Scourge? Are my new warriors ready?"

Scourge looked at Galvatron, then pressed a button.

"They are fully activated. Now…"

Galvatron looked at the six new mechs, optics narrowed dangerously as he saw that they were femmes.

"Scourge…."

Scourge swallowed again.

"You, uhh, won't be disappointed mighty Galvatron, I promise you." He faced the mechs "Alright, wake up! Greet your new lord and master!"

Six optics flashed red as the mechs sat up on the bays they were lying on. Triggerhappy and Cyclonus looked at each other then at the mechs.

The crimson and white one stood and faced them.

"Mighty Galvatron, I am Acousia, Communications." She pressed a button on the side of her arm and her chest opened, ejecting four cassettes "And these, are my allies."

The four cassettes transformed. A bipedal Purple and Gold mech looked at Galvatron.

"Names Tremble. Anything standing, falls at my feet when I'm through."

A red panther raised it's head, optics narrowed as it looked at the Decepticon.

"I am known as Carnage. Nothing escapes my senses."

The green cassette transformed into a dragon. It flexed it's wings and let a short roar come from it's mouth. It looked at Galvatron, a superior look in it's optics.

"You may call me Blaze. I do what I want, which consists of destroying my enemies and stealing their secrets."

The final cassette transformed into a silver bipedal mech, similar to Tremble, but a femme version.

"I have been designated Thraka. Know that any job you assign me, shall be accomplished, with maximum efficiency and destruction to my enemies."

Galvatron looked at Scourge.

"Another set of tapes? Is this all you have to show me?"

Before Scourge could respond, Cyclonus intervened.

"Mighty Galvatron, consider what we have access to here. Four more cassettes, which are even more deadly and dangerous than Soundwave's."

Galvatron looked at his second and nodded.

"Continue Scourge."

Scourge motioned to the grey and black femme, as well as the white and green one. The two stepped forward and bowed to Galvatron.

The grey and black femme spoke first.

"I am called Roadkill. Anything on the road in front of me, ends up becoming a scrapheap."

The white and green one nodded.

"Vette's my name, and destruction is my game." 

Triggerhappy chuckled to himself as did Scourge. Galvatron glared at the other three.

"And what are you three called? Scrap, junk and more scrap?"

The silver and brown femme faced him.

"My name is Hydrina. You want anything done perfectly, you call me.

The other two, who had a Seeker look about them, faced Galvatron.

"My name is Darkshayde." The dark blue and black Seeker announced, while her companion, an orange and white Seeker spoke one word.

"Tempest."

Galvatron looked at his new force, and couldn't help but smile. Ever since he had the 'Megatron' part of him removed, he was becoming more and more saner everyday. He faced Scourge.

"Scourge, you have done well. If they can perform as well as they brag, then I'll have a use for them. If they fail, it will be YOUR carcass that resides with theirs, floating in space!"

Scourge was about to respond when Dreadwind's voice came over the comm.

"Mighty Galvatron, I've got some good news and bad news."

Galvatron snarled as he looked at his new force.

"What is it?"

Dreadwind's response was instantaneous.

"Good news, we've found the shuttle. Bad news, we're not alone. Alpha Destroyer is heading towards it, and will be in range of it within a hundred astro seconds."

Galvatron turned on his heel and stormed out of the lab. He stopped as he neared the door.

"Looks like your new toys will have their trial by fire against my predecessor and his forces. Cyclonus, have the rest of my forces ready for battle, and Triggerhappy prepare Scorpononk's defenses. I want that shuttle unharmed!"

As Galvatron left the room, Acousia had her four cassettes transform and return inside her chest. The communication's expert looked at the Tracker.

"Scourge, we know what we have to do, and we know WHO we have to do it do. We'll do our jobs, don't worry."

Scourge nodded, as he pressed a button, transmitting a signal to his Sweeps, who had increased in numbers, from three to twelve (1).

"In any event Acousia, you and your femmes should prepare yourselves. This going to get ugly."

**_***********************************************_**

**_Death's Head :_**     (1) Based on what I saw in the Transformers Movie, I'm assuming here, that the Insecticons, had the ability to create clones of themselves, and ability which has been passed on, to their new forms as Sweeps. 

Damn, I forgot to add these new ones at the top. Oh well, there listed here instead.

Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Hydrina, Darkshayde, Roadkill and Vette are MY creations. If you would like to use them, please send me an email asking me if you can, and I most probably will let you, I just want to know which fic they're gonna appear in. 

I created these Decepticon femmes, with one purpose in mind…. Which I won't tell now. Just have to wait and see what happens in future updates. R&R please.


	8. Chapter 7

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

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**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Inside an Autobot Shuttle, within the Paradon system :_**

Valkyrie sighed.

"It's hopeless. Our sensors have found one thing... nothing."

Jazz, Grimlock, Seraphim, Jetfire and Skyfire looked at her, from the corner of their optics, whilst Kari slinked down in her armour. Valkyrie's personality program was starting to get riled up. And when she got riled up, get out of the room.

Optimus looked at Valkyrie.

"Valkyrie, I can understand how being cooped up within a shuttle can be unsettling, but..."

Valkyire whirled in her chair.

"But nothing! I'm sick of just sitting here and doing nothing! I'd rather be out hunting down Starscream, and toturing the little creep, before finally blowing his head off! And then, I'd bring him back again, just to repeat the process!!"

Outlaw walked over to her.

"Valkyrie, come with me."

Valkyrie snarled and followed her partner off the bridge. Optimus sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

"She's starting to come unhinged. If something isn't done to curb her killer instinct..."

Seraphim approached Optimus.

"Don't worry about Valkyrie. Outlaw will watch over her."

Optimus looked at the femme, sadness in his optics.

"Seraphim, do you remember the Hate Plague?"

Seraphim nodded, as everyone else faced them.

"Of course I do. Because of that, you were brought back to us."

Optimus looked at his console.

"Valkyrie is showing the first signs of the Hate Plague. I fear, if something isn't done to bring her back, her sanity will snap, and she could drag Outlaw with her."

Skyfire spoke up.

"Pity Wheeljack isn't with us anymore. I know he was working on something which could help settle the personality program of an Autobot who is on edge. As it stands, we'd probably have to get in touch with either Brainstorm or Ratchet, back on Earth to see…" the scientist paused and pressed some buttons "Guys, I've just managed to pick up something, on one of the asteroids. Very faint readings, of Cybertronian origin." He faced Optimus "I do believe we've found her ship."

Optimus stood and walked over to Skyfire.

"Are you sure?"

Skyfire nodded.

"I'm positive. Look at these readings. That's the ship of Elita-1 and her force."

Jazz laughed.

"Heh, well we've found them Optimus. Bet you're gonna be _real glad to meet Elita again, eh?"_

If it were possible for Optimus to blush, he would have. However, before he could speak, Outlaw's voice came over the comm.

"I need help down here now! Valkyrie has shut down, and is non responsive. So, if you don't want to see me snap, SOMEONE, _GET DOWN HERE NOW_!!"

Optimus faced Jazz and Jetfire.

"The two of you, bring us into orbit of the asteroid. Everyone else, come with me."

Optimus led the Autobots towards the shuttle's small medical bay, where Outlaw had laid Valkyrie on one of the repair beds. The black Autobot faced them.

"She just collapsed. Optimus..."

Optimus walked over to Outlaw.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Skyfire and Seraphim can repair whatever is wrong with her." he faced the two "Right?"

Skyfire and Seraphim looked at each other.

"We'll see what we can do."

Seraphim added.

"Outlaw, we'll do whatever it takes to bring her back."

Outlaw just turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. At a glance from Seraphim, Grimlock nodded and followed her volatile brother.

In the corridor leading to the bridge, Grimlock caught up with Outlaw.

"Outlaw, wait."

"What is it Grimlock?"

The Dinobot looked at him.

"Worried about Valkyrie."

Outlaw nodded.

"Of course I am. I've known her for so long..."

Grimlock looked into Outlaw's optics.

"Does she know your feelings for her?"

Outlaw paused.

"No offence Grimlock, but the relationship between Valkyrie and myself, is OUR business. Not yours or anyone else's."

Grimlock raised his hands.

"Understand Grimlock does. Need to tell her though."

Before Outlaw could respond, the shuttle lurched, sending both Autobots to the floor.

"What the...?"

Grimlock looked around.

"Hit something."

Outlaw and Grimlock got to their feet and headed onto the bridge. Outlaw spoke to Jazz.

"What are you trying to do? Get us killed?"

Jazz snorted.

"Hey man, if I wanted to do that, I would've! But right now, we got bigger problems. We've got two asteroids on direct approach vectors, and no power to the cannons!"

Jetfire grasped his rifle.

"Well, looks like we have to do this the old fashioned way. Outlaw, Grimlock, want to blast us some asteroids?"

Grimlock pressed a button on the airlock, as the hatch whirled into place and opened.

"Me Grimlock, smash puny rocks."

Outlaw pulled his two rifles from subspace and walked towards the hatch.

"Let's do this. It'll take my CPU off of worrying about Valkyrie."

The three Autobots climbed out on top of the shuttle, and opened fire with their rifles, as Optimus came back onto the bridge.

"Jazz, what's going on, and where are..?"

Jazz spoke over his shoulder.

"Outlaw, Grimlock and Jetfire went space walking, to blast some rocks heading for us and.... HANG ON!!"

An asteroid slammed into the underbelly of the shuttle, jolting everyone. However, the jolt sent Outlaw spinning away from the shuttle.

"Oh this is just TERRIFIC!!"

Jetfire climbed to his feet, and was about to fire the jet's on his back, when two asteroids collided, sending micro asteroids raining onto the shuttle, himself and Grimlock.

Grimlock snarled.

"Me Grimlock hate Sunday drivers!"

Jetfire looked at him.

"And how is that applicable here?"

Grimlock snarled and leaped towards the hatch.

"Me don't know. Me just wanted to say something!"

Jetfire was about to respond, when he saw an asteroid slam into Outlaw, a brilliant burst of energy shattered the asteroid, shards of rock slammed into the dark Autobot sending him reeling through space. Jetfire dodged the debris and focused his optics on the disappearing form of Outlaw.

"Dammit all! I've got to..."

Optimus's voice came over Jetfire's comm.

"Get inside Jetfire, now! That's an order!"

"But Optimus, Outlaw..."

"Can take care of himself. If you don't get in here now, there won't be enough of you left to fill an energon cube!"

Jetfire grimaced and entered the shuttle, as Jazz fired the thrusters and brought the shuttle away from the asteroid with Elita's ship on it, and away from Outlaw.

**_***********************************************_**

****

**_Death's Head -_**                Well, another cliffhanger. What is going to happen when Valkyrie wakes up and finds out that Outlaw is gone? Will Optimus and the others be able to calm her, or will she succumb to this new problem in her personality complex and just go insane? I'm afraid you're just gonna have to wait and see what happens.

I'm evil, yes?

Oh, and there will be more of everyone's favourite freelance peacekeeping agent, Death's Head to come. You've been warned. Oh, and R&R please.


	9. Chapter 8

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

**__**

**************************************************

**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Aboard Alpha Destroyer :_**

Megatron stood looking at the viewscreen, his arms folded across his chest. On screen, was the mausoleum shuttle, the Autobots had placed the remains of his Decepticon army. They were _HIS_ before his 'subversion' by Unicron, and they would be _HIS_ once again. He spoke to Soundwave.

"Soundwave, scan for any other ships in the vicinity. This is too easy."

Soundwave pressed some buttons, and scowled at the display.

"One ship detected. Decepticon make and of Nebulon construction." The communications expert faced his leader "It is Scorpononk."

Megatron snarled.

"And that means, Galvatron is here!"

"Affirmative."

Megatron growled and pressed a button.

"Starscream! I want you to take the Seekers and every other Decepticon we have, who are capable of atmospheric flight, and prevent Galvatron from getting to the shuttle. He must not get a hold of those Decepticons onboard it!"

In the armoury of Alpha Destroyer, the air commander groaned to himself. He was to lead a flight group against a damned city, not to mention against the defenses and forces of the city as well. Now, if _he_ was the Decepticon leader, instead of Megatron …

Skywarp and Thundercracker had already loaded up on some of the 'special' weaponry Raiden had created and had left onboard the giant Decepticon. Whisper and the members of the Decepticon Micromaster Air Strike Patrol, as well as Thrust, Dirge, Ramjet, Krok, Banzai-Tron, Shockwave and Astrotrain were waiting for the three Seekers in the hanger. The Constructicon, Predacons, Horrorcons and Seacons were there as well, waiting for the moment they could combine into their gestalt forms and attack Scorpononk as well as the insane robot within him, Galvatron.

Scrapper looked at his fellows.

"Constructicons, when we reach the enemy, we merge into the Devastator and destroy them."

Bonecrusher grinned.

"About damned time I got a chance to smash something! It's been ages since I've destroyed something. I didn't even get a chance to take Raiden apart with my bare hands!"

Razorclaw, leader of the Predacons, looked at the green and purple mech.

"And he would have destroyed you in an astro second Bonecrusher."

Bonecrusher whirled on the Predacon.

"Who do you think you are Pred? Telling a Constructicon what to do?"

Razorclaw stared into Bonecrusher's optics, until the green and purple mech backed down. Ever since the recent upgrades to all members of the Predacons, their gestalt form of Predaking was far more powerful than the infamous Devastator.

"Have a care Constructicon. Where once you and your fellows were a force to be reckoned with, not anymore. The seven of you are an evolutionary throwback, heh, perhaps when you tricked your _best friend_ Omega Supreme and lured him away from Crystal City, you should've let him catch you, so he could have his revenge on you. Instead you fled, and helped organize the destruction of Praxus. And what happened to you lot after that? You failed to take into consideration three certain Autobots, who were instrumental in your defeat and subsequent DE-constuction."

Divebomb sniggered.

"Yeah, and who were those three Autobots Tantrum?"

The horned Predacon smirked.

"I do believe they were Raiden, Valkyrie and another femme."

Razorclaw nodded.

"Even back then, Raiden beat the seven of you. What makes you think you could even defeat him now, when he has a new and more powerful body, and is known as Outlaw?"

Rampage grinned evilly and pushed Long Haul into Scavenger.

"Let's face it, not even Megatron could defeat him. No one can best him, and when he finds out that the seven of you are alive, methinks he's gonna come after your seven empty heads!"

Scrapper watched his six fellow Constructicons argue with the Predacons, and sighed. Razorclaw was right. Raiden had defeated them over four million years ago, and now as Outlaw, he had access to more advanced weaponry and was far more powerful than the first time he had encountered the Autobot. Shockwave looked at the silent mech.

"Scrapper, I suggest you stop your comrades, or else they will meet defeat at the hands of the Predacons."

Scrapper shook his head.

"They won't listen to me Shockwave. They haven't since our second rebirth, thanks to Galvatron's mad scientist, Scourge. They think I lead them to our deaths aboard that Autobot's shuttle, near Pluto. As it stands, when we formed the Devastator on Cybertron, outside of Iacon, it was only so we could attack our enemies. They've cut me off from them Shockwave, and now, I fear there shall never be the Devastator again."

Shockwave studied Scrapper.

"I see."

Before Scrapper or Shockwave could say anything, or for the Constructicons and Predacons to tear each other apart, Starscream entered the hanger.

"My fellow Decepticons, I hope you are all ready for carnage?"

The response from the other Decepticons was a resounding cheer. Starscream smiled to himself as he pressed the button which opened the hanger doors. He pressed another button, and the image of his 'respected' leader appeared.

"Well Starscream? Are my forces ready?"

Starscream snarled inwardly as he spoke.

"We are all ready for combat Mighty Megatron. We just await your command."

On the bridge, Megatron nodded. He stared at the accursed outline of the Decepticon Headmaster, before speaking.

"DECEPTICONS!! ATTACK!!"

**_***********************************************_**

****

**_Death's Head -_**     I know, I know. I'm an evil writer for leaving this off on edge of something good. Thing is, this'll probably be the last update for awhile, as I'm suffering severe, and I mean SEVERE, writer's block.

Besides, I'm trying to plan out how the next chapter will shape up, either the continuation of this one, or something else. I don't know which. Anywayz, please R&R. My ego needs to know what people think. And as everyone knows, an ego is a very dangerous thing to feed. SO PLEASE FEED ME!!!!!!


	10. Chapter 9

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT  
  
**********************************************  
  
Death's Head - I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head.  
  
The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.  
  
The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim. The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.  
  
Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head and Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge. A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.  
  
**********************************************  
  
On the surface of the asteroid :  
  
Outlaw pulled himself out of the crater he had created, when he slammed into the surface. His armour was dented and his right arm wasn't functioning. He growled softly to himself, as part of his facemask fell off, revealing the exoskeleton of his face. He stood on his feet and grimaced. Panels on both of his legs were dented badly, and with each step, pain flashed in his optics.  
  
"Great, just great! I survived getting blown up by Mega-jerk, then get myself a new body, blow the crap out of Soundwave and his little bots, and what does it take to bust me up? Getting smashed by a damned asteroid!"  
  
Then one of his optics flashed and died.  
  
"It just keeps getting better and better! Blind in one optic, and the other's only just working. Wonderful. Fantastic! Brilliant!!"  
  
The dark Autobot stumbled along the surface, energon leaking from the wounds over his body. He only stumbled a few meters, before his left knee shorted out, causing him to fall to his knees.  
  
"Dammit! Why does this have to happen now?!?!" Outlaw growled to himself, and then decided to transform into his vehicle form, to conserve energy and slow the damage to his already overtaxed systems.  
  
The black truck cab and trailer drove along the surface. His metallic scanners started to go off as he approached a large outcropping. The scanners detected a rather large amount of foreign metals. He drove along the ridge of a immense valley on asteroid and stopped.  
  
In his vehicle form, his own self-repair diagnostic program had managed to repair most of his internal systems, damaged from the crash. As he transformed into his robotic form once again, he carefully limped towards the edge of the ledge he was standing on and looked down.  
  
"Phew, now this is big. Not as big as some on Cybertron of course, but still impressive." He frowned as his sensors detected that the metallic mass he was looking for, was at the bottom of the valley, which was over 500 meters, according to his own systems.  
  
The dark Autobot raised his left arm and pointed it at a large boulder. The left hand slid back into the arm as a drill and winch appeared in it's place. The drill was launched and bored into the boulder, and as it came through the other side, the drill burst into a grapnel and hooked it's four arms into the boulder. Outlaw double checked the cable from the winch to the drill and then leaped over the edge.  
  
As Outlaw descended into the darkness, Jetfire swooped over the asteroid, scanners searching for Outlaw. However, due to the special armour covering his target, Jetfire could detect nothing of dark Autobot.  
  
"Where is he? I hope that flash didn't mean." Jetfire sighed "Can't think that way. He's still here, somewhere."  
  
Optimus's voice came over his comm.  
  
"Found anything Jetfire?"  
  
"Negative Optimus. If Outlaw didn't have that stealth armour on him, I may've had a better chance, but as it stands.."  
  
Optimus sighed.  
  
"Understood. I want you to continue to search for him, while Skyfire, Jazz, Grimlock and myself look for Elita's shuttle."  
  
Jetfire banked to the left and continued on his flight plan.  
  
"No problem Optimus. Good hunting."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - Sorry about the wait for a new update people. Been very busy with another project, also posted here, and I'm starting to come to my wits end, so to speak. I also would like to apologise for the rather shortness of this chapter. Having a massive head cold thanks to allergies has really stuffed me around. Also, my two regular beta readers, have requested that I don't write anymore Transformers fanfics, and stick with my other ones (Namely Love Hina, Oh! My Goddess etc, etc.). BUT! I say to them. OH HELL NO!! I will NOT stop writing Transformer fanfics. WHY? Because I enjoy writing them! HAH!  
  
*Ahem* Enough of the megalomania. Starting to sound like Galvatron now, and that's not good, yes? So, I'm also looking for new beta readers for my stories. If anyone can help, please send me an email. Thanks.  
  
Oh and R&R please. 


	11. Chapter 10

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

**__**

**************************************************

**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_In the sickbay of the Autobot shuttle :_**

Seraphim sighed to her as she leaned back against the wall. She had managed to fix the problem with Valkyrie, and had just finished an overall scan of the silver femme. It seemed, that with the two alternate forms available to her, Valkyrie's system could not handle the stress forced on her, when she switched from one form to the other. Skyfire had suggested, that when they return to Cybertron, that Outlaw and himself go over Valkyrie, and remove one of her forms.

Seraphim sighed again. That is _IF_ Outlaw could be found. She had been told what had happened to her brother, and she was worried. She knew how strong he was, what with the Dinobot armour, he had used in the creation and construction of his body as well as Valkyrie's, and she knew that a asteroid would not destroy him. Kari, her Targetmaster partner, came into the room.

"How's Val doing?"

Seraphim smiled as she picked up the Nebulan.

"She'll be fine. It seems the stress of being a triple changer, is causing some unusual side effects within her internal structure. When we get back to Cybertron, Skyfire and Outlaw will run a full diagnostic scan on her, and hopefully change her structure enough, so that she only has one transformation form."

Kari raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think?"

Seraphim looked back at Valkyrie.

"To be honest, I don't really know. Even from the little scanning I have done on her, her construction is something I have never encountered before, in my entire existence."

Kari nodded.

"I'd hazard a guess that Outlaw is the same, right?"

Seraphim chuckled.

"My brother likes to be different. He does things his own way, and the Matrix take those who don't agree with him. He is a rogue, I'll give him that."

Kari smiled.

"Come on. Optimus is continuing the search for Elita-1's ship. He wants everyone on the bridge." 

Seraphim cast one more glance at the deactivated Valkyrie, then left the sick bay with Kari. No sooner had the door slid shut, Valkyrie's optics glowed. Not with the pale blue of an Autobot, but with the fiery red of a Decepticon.

"Destroy Autobots!" 

**_***********************************************_**

**_Elsewhere :_**

Rodimus Prime grimaced as he saw the radar screen, try and show which group was winning. Kup leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head.

"Ahh, calm down Rodimus. Look at it this way, if Galvatron and Megatron want to kill each other, let them do it themselves! No use in getting ourselves involved."

Blaster nodded.

"Kup's right. Why get ourselves blown up, when they can blow themselves up?"

Before Rodimus could respond, Ultra Magnus walked onto the bridge and looked at the younger Prime.

"All troops fully armed and ready Rodimus. We're just waiting for your signal."

Rodimus frowned, as he calculated the odds. Not only did he have Ultra Magnus, Kup and Blaster onboard, but also the remaining Dinobots, The Technobots, Aerialbots, The Targetmasters, Headmasters and Powermasters, All Autobot Pretenders, Blaster's cassette's and the three Triple Changers. Including himself, Ultra Magnus, Kup and Blaster, that made a total of Thirty-Nine Autobots.

He frowned. Thirty-Nine Autobots against how many Decepticons? According to the report from Impactor, Optimus Prime and even Death's Head, the Decepticons have increased their forces significantly, what with the assimilation of the 'Lost' Decepticons. Emirate Xaaron, had ordered reinforcements to join him, but Rodimus had the sinking feeling, that they'd get there to late. Blaster looked at his screen, then spoke.

"Alright dudes! Picking up a LOT of Decepticon activity near the shuttle. Looks like the forces of Megs and Galvy, are going at it." He smiled as he faced the others "Looks like we've got us some ring side seats!"

Kup chuckled.

"All we need is some popcorn, and enjoy the show."

Ultra Magnus looked at Rodimus.

"Rodimus, before you order us in to attack, I suggest we wait back, until our reinforcements arrive and then…"

Rodimus faced the veteran warrior and raised his hand.

"The longer we wait Ultra Magnus, the more time the Decepticons have to reanimate their fallen comrades." Rodimus walked over to another scanner, and pressed some buttons "We use small antimatter charges, let them distract and disorient them. We split our forces in two, and attack them in a pincer manoeuvre."

Kup sighed.

"Lad, listen to reason…"

Rodimus whirled and faced Kup and the others.

"NO! I will not wait another astro second! Ultra Magnus, alert all troops! We attack as soon as the charges are ready!"

Blaster sighed and faced his console. He pressed a button, and his voice came over the speaker in the cargo bay, alerting the others.

"ALERT! All troops, ready for battle!"

Ultra Magnus sighed and headed towards the cargo bay. Rodimus called out to him.

"Magnus, don't worry. I have this all planned out." He then added "I bet even Optimus would've done this as well."

The Autobot second in command, looked over his shoulder at Rodimus.

"No Rodimus, no he wouldn't. My brother would've waited, not sacrifice a small group of warriors against a significantly larger number of the enemy, all in an attempt of grandeur."

Ultra Magnus left the bridge, and Rodimus frowned. He hadn't expected that outburst from Ultra Magnus. Another reminder, that among a lot of the older Autobots, Rodimus was the outsider. He put his hand on the side of his face and sighed.

"I am doing the right thing? Would Optimus of done this?"

Kup was about to respond, when the scanner next to him went off. As he looked at it, his optics widened.

"Ahh, Rodimus... We've got a slight problem with that plan of yours."

The young leader looked over at the veteran.

"What's wrong Kup?"

Kup whirled around and pointed at the viewscreen.

"THEM!"

Rodimus and Blaster faced the screen, and saw the Decepticons approaching, weapons firing.

"It's going to be one of those days Rodimus."

**_***********************************************_**

****

**Death's Head -**      A change within Valkyrie, promises some interesting problems for Seraphim, Optimus and the others. Outlaw's whereabouts, are unknown, and with Rodimus Prime and his troops with him facing down the two sets of Decepticon forces, things look bleak for the Autobots. More to come next chapter. R&R please.


	12. Chapter 11

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

**__**

**************************************************

**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Inside the mausoleum shuttle :_**

Megatron and Soundwave walked along the corridors, looking at the fallen Decepticons. Megatron smiled. Soon, his warriors would be back, and after he destroys Galvatron, his forces and those pathetic Autobots, the universe would be his.

Soundwave, was paying attention, and recording everything he saw and heard, for later analysis. He stopped and looked straight ahead. Megatron stopped and looked at his advisor.

"Soundwave? What's the problem?"

Soundwave tilted his head, as if listening to something only he could hear.

"Unknown Megatron. Attempting to isolate and identify…"

_"Soundwave…"_

Soundwave whirled and looked behind him. He heard the faint flap of wings, the still, almost silent foot falls.

"Soundwave… don't fight us. Join us…" 

Megatron walked up to Soundwave, his hand on the shoulder of the silent communicator.

"Soundwave… What do you hear?"

Soundwave shook his head, and looked at Megatron, his optics wide.

"I… can hear… them…"

Megatron narrowed his optics.

"Them? Who?"

Before Soundwave could speak, four silhouettes appeared at the end of the corridor. Megatron and Soundwave stared at them. Megatron hissed and started to raise his fusion cannon, when a cold voice spoke.

"Well, well, well, would you look at what the cyber cat has dragged in. My traitorous former communications expert, and an ancient pile of garbage, which died years ago!"

The two shadows stepped into the light, one purple and silver and armed with a particle cannon. His companion looked just like Soundwave, except being blue and white, it was red and white. Soundwave stepped back, and pressed his eject button. A single gold cassette ejected and transformed into a gold condor. The metallic bird flapped it's wings an hovered next to Soundwave. The red and white version did the same thing and eight cassettes appeared. Four were recognisable as Laserbeak, Ravage, Rumble and Frenzy. Two of the others looked like Rumble and Frenzy but different colours. Another was a red version of Ravage, and the other was a green winged mech.

Megatron glared at the his counterpart.

"Galvatron!"

Galvatron smiled.

"That I am Megatron, that I am."  
  


Soundwave and Buzzsaw stared at their old comrades. Buzzsaw squawked at Lazerbeak, who replied back in a nasty tone. Soundwave stared at the other Decepticon.

"Who are you?"

The red and white Decepticon stepped forward.

"I am Acousia. Decepticon Communications expert."

Megatron looked at Acousia then at Galvatron.

"A femme? A Decepticon femme?"

Galvatron smiled.

"That she is, and a very capable advisor. Now that introductions are out of the way, I have only one thing to say to you," he raised his right arm "It is time for you to die!"

**_***********************************************_**

****

**Death's Head -**      I apologise for the rather shortness of this chapter, that's why I posted two chapters. Unfortunately, this is going to be the last update for awhile. Now, I may not be able to update this story for awhile, as I'm experiencing a lot of grief at the moment. One of my beta readers (and also the inspiration for most of my stories) and beloved girlfriend, passed away on the 31st of October. At the moment, I'm trying to sort out my own thoughts and helping my girlfriend's sisters sort things out. So I hoped you all enjoyed this story so far, and I will continue it, once I've sorted out my problems and such. 


	13. Chapter 12

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

**__**

**************************************************

**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Elsewhere :_**

Outlaw snarled as he landed with a thud at the bottom of the canyon. Unfortunately, the cable had run out a couple of hundred metres from the bottom, so he had no choice but to have the grapnel remove itself from the boulder it was lodged in, and retract back along the cable into his left forearm. However, the ledge he had been standing on, gave way, and he fell the remaining distance. Fortunately for him, the absorbers in his legs absorbed the impact, only jarring him slightly.

"That's it! When I get back to Cybertron, I'm gonna put myself in for repairs and upgrades!"

The dark Autobot glanced around his location, twisted pieces of asteroid rock all about. He snarled again, and was about to risk firing the boosters in his legs, when his metal scanner starting to beep. He pressed a small button on his wrist, and a holographic image appeared on his forearm. The scanner was detecting metal at a distance of 20.8 kilometres from his position. 

"Oh that's just great. Judging from the looks of the terrain between myself and this metallic object, I won't be able to get there in my vehicle form. Nor fly there due to the severe lack of energy in my systems at the moment. What I need is…"

Outlaw looked up as he heard the engine roar of a jet fly above him. His optics quickly identified the form as the Autobot air guardian, Jetfire.

"Talk about good timing," Outlaw activated his comm switch "Outlaw to Jetfire, Outlaw to Jetfire. Do you read me?"

The jet shot over the edge of the canyon, then veered backwards and transformed into Jetfire. The Autobot looked around.

"Outlaw? Man, it's good to hear you. Unfortunately for us, Optimus and the others had to head back to Cybertronian airspace. Apparently the two Super Stupid, Mechanical doormat, Decepticon brothers, have found the mausoleum shuttle their fallen were loaded in, and are in the process of fighting it out amongst themselves for who gets the spoils."

Outlaw rolled his optics.

"I don't know what's worse Jetfire, Mega-Jerk and Galva-Dump getting their grimy little hands on those Decepticons, or you're jokes!"

Jetfire chuckled.

"You know me Outlaw, always willing to have a laugh."

Outlaw frowned.

"Yeah, much to my disgust. Now get your red caboose down here! I'm about 580 metres directly south of where you are now."

Jetfire looked down into the canyon, and boosted his optic magnification to 200%. He saw the faint outline of his target. Jetfire ignited his boosters and flew down into the canyon, dodging the outcropping pieces of rock. At twenty metres he cut his boosters and dropped to the ground. He looked at the battered Outlaw and whistled.

"Phew, you look terrible. Valkyrie been beating you up again?"

Outlaw rolled his optics, at his friend's joke.

"Yeah, right. Guess what she's going to do with you, when she hears what you said?"

Jetfire shrugged.

"Makes no diff to me. Last I heard, she was still in temporary shutdown."

Outlaw stood and faced him.

"What happened to her?"

Jetfire studied him.

"I don't know the full details about her condition. Seraphim put her under, until we get you and our sorry butts back to Cybertron to effect repairs on her." He also added "as well as you, it would seem."

Outlaw grunted as he started towards the metallic object.

"Come on Jetfire. I have a feeling, we're going to find what we've been searching for about twenty kilometres ahead of us."

Jetfire nodded.

"Can you fly?"

Outlaw shook his head.

"Negative. My self repair and diagnostic systems have repaired most of the damage, only down side is that I'm low on energon."

Jetfire hurried up to his friend.

"Well then, instead of walking, and using up what precious energy you have left…"

Jetfire started to transform, but no completely into his fighter jet form. He looked like a fighter jet, with arms and legs. Outlaw smiled.

"Half jet and half robot form eh?"

Jetfire spoke.

"Yep. In this form, I'm faster than robot, and more agile than jet. Climb on top and hold on."

Outlaw nodded and climbed on top of the hybrid fighter jet, and Jetfire ignited his boosters, and flew off towards the object Outlaw had detected. As they flew along, Jetfire spoke.

"We'll be there in under five earth minutes. Tell me Outlaw, do you think we'll find Elita and her warriors?"

Outlaw sighed.

"I'm not sure Jetfire. From the information we have, Elita had taken what was left of her femme force into space, just after Optimus Prime and the others left Cybertron. Unfortunately, Megatron and his cronies had attacked the femme base. Only a handful of femmes escaped their friends deaths."

Jetfire increased his speed and altitude.

"Do we have any ideas as to how many of them escaped?"

Outlaw remained silent, then spoke quietly.

"Unknown. All we do know, is that Elita herself survived the attack, and led the femmes away."

Jetfire sighed.

"Well, let's just hope that Primus was looking over them back then, and still is."

**_***********************************************_**

****

**Death's Head -**      Jetfire's 'hybrid' form, is equivalent to the 'Guardian' form of the Veritechs/Valkyries from Robotech/Macross. Not that hard to believe actually, since the Jetfire figure was made from the same mould and such that the Robotech/Macross figures were made from. Also, the reason why I have him in this story, is that not many author's here have Jetfire in their stories, mainly having Skyfire. From what I can remember, and from what I've found on the Net, Jetfire is the Autobot Air Guardian, whereas Skyfire is a Scientist and explorer. Therefore, I have both of them in this story.

Now, the metallic object they're heading to, well, you're just going to have to wait until I write that part. Which should be up in a week or so. In any event, there are some more chapters after this one, which I hope will tide you, my faithful reviewers, over until I update again. R&R please. 


	14. Chapter 13

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

**__**

**************************************************

**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Aboard Rodimus Prime's Shuttle :_**

The young Autobot leader cursed, as the null ray blast from Starscream splashed onto the bulkhead behind him. Kup aimed his rifle and fired a quick succession of bursts at the Seeker leader and his cohorts, forcing them to duck back into the corridor leading to the shuttle's bridge.

"Damn Starscream, he's just as annoying as he was before Galvatron blasted him."

Blaster fired his electro scrambler at the Decepticon Targetmaster Triggerhappy, the blast hit him, sending the Decepticon convulsing into Shockwave. Shockwave lashed out, his fist connecting with Triggerhappy's head, sending him flying into the wall.

"Insect! Starscream, we have our orders. Destroy the Autobots, and remove the Autobot Matrix from their leader."

Starscream snorted.

"So? Does that mean we can't have any fun here Shockwave? I mean, these are just Autobots."

Skywarp looked at Starscream, anger in his optics. He whispered to Thundercracker.

"Thundercracker, I think it'd be best if we distance ourselves from these fools."

The blue Seeker nodded.

"I agree. Besides, we can have more fun, independent."

Both Seekers, turned and disappeared down the corridor. Shockwave and Starscream were too busy arguing to notice, but not Triggerhappy's partner, Blowpipe. The Nebulon transformed from cannon mode into his armoured warrior form.

"Those two sneaking off, doesn't sit well with me. But until Triggerhappy is back on his feet, I'm helpless."

Blowpipe made his way towards his partner, and was out of sight of Ultra Magnus. The Autobot second in command, raised his rifle and pointed it at the two bickering Decepticons.

"Alright Shockwave, Starscream, stand down. Or else I'll be forced to fire."

Shockwave and Starscream faced him.

"Look at what your stupidity has done now Shockwave!"

Shockwave glared at Starscream.

"YOU are the one with a deficient functioning CPU Starscream. If you had of fired a cluster missile into the bridge, we would not be in this situation."

Rodimus, Blaster and Kup stepped into the corridor, their own weapons drawn.

"Shockwave, Starscream, the two of you…"

Just then, the shuttle rocked as Scorpononk opened fire on the shuttle, causing a bulkhead to explode, rupturing the corridor. Taking advantage of the situation, Shockwave and Starscream fired their weapons, each blast sent the Autobots reeling. Then, the two fled the shuttle. Ultra Magnus cursed to himself as he stood on his feet.

"Rodimus! Kup! Blaster! Do you still function?"

Blaster groaned, as he sat up, his hand on the side of his head.

"I'm still here Mags, but boy, do I have a ringing in my receptors. Haven't felt this bad, since I walked in on Jazz as he was displaying his new and improved Light and Sound show."

Kup looked at Blaster.

"Heh, don't worry Blaster. This is easy."

Blaster looked at Kup, optics wide.

"Easy? You call this easy?"

Kup stood on his feet and helped the communicator up.

"Well, you didn't fall into the stomach of the biggest damned transformer in existence and survive."

Blaster sighed.

"Unicron."

"Bingo."

Ultra Magnus, meanwhile, helped Rodimus to his feet.

"What do we do now Rodimus? The Decepticons have boarded us and we have numerous casualties. Your call."

Rodimus sighed.

"Blaster, how long until the reinforcements get here?"

Blaster frowned.

"Still two earth hours away. By then…"

Rodimus finished the sentence.

"Megatron and Galvatron would've revived every Decepticon on board that shuttle."

Kup spoke.

"Lad, we still have an ace in the hole on that shuttle. Death's Head."

Blaster nodded.

"That's true Rodimus. Death's Head has proven his ability against the Decepticons numerous times in the past."

Ultra Magnus frowned.

"That's true Blaster, but against ALL the Decepticons? What chance does he have?"

A voice spoke from behind them.

"I'll help."

The four Autobots turned and faced Triggerhappy, who was leaning against the wall, Blowpipe sitting on a ledge, near his partner's shoulder. Rodimus looked at him.

"Triggerhappy. Why would you help him? No, scratch that. What are you willing to help us?"

Triggerhappy sighed.

"Believe it or not Autobot, I'm sick of all this fighting. So is Blowpipe. All we want is to end this futile war."

Blowpipe nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Triggerhappy. Most of the other Binary Bonded Decepticons are with Zarek, and want to remain where they are, in an attempt to capitalise on this whole Megatron and Galvatron debacle."

Triggerhappy added.

"Unfortunately, there isn't many other Decepticons who think as Blowpipe and myself do. I've… correction, _we've_ been considering defecting, to join the Autobots."

Ultra Magnus walked towards Triggerhappy and stopped in front of him, glaring at him.

"And why should we listen to you Decepticon?"

Triggerhappy returned the gaze.

"I have information, which you may find interesting."

Ultra Magnus raised his rifle and pointed it in the face of Triggerhappy.

"Any information a Decepticon gives, can only lead to more trouble for us."

Rodimus stepped forward, and raised his hand to quiet his second.

"What sort of information?"

Triggerhappy looked at Rodimus.

"Galvatron's mad scientist, Scourge, had created ten new Decepticons."

Ultra Magnus looked at Rodimus.

"Rodimus, he's lying."

Triggerhappy snarled.

"And WHY would I lie? My own CPU and memory engrams were used to give birth to one of them!"

Blaster sighed.

"To quote Jazz, That's just whacked man!"

Before anyone could respond, the shuttle shook as another blast hit it. Rodimus looked at Triggerhappy.

"Alright then, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, as the humans say, and trust you. Help Death's Head out and get back to Autobot City on Earth. Understand?"

Triggerhappy nodded.

"I can do that. But, how can I prove to Death's Head that I'm on your side now?"

Ultra Magnus stepped forward.

"Because I'm coming with you Decepticon."

Rodimus sighed.

"Ok then. But I want the FOUR of you, on Earth in one earth day."

Ultra Magnus and Triggerhappy nodded. Blowpipe transformed and landed in Triggerhappy's hand.

Both Autobot and Decepticon turned and leaped out of the hole in the shuttle side. Kup looked at Blaster.

"Blaster, why don't you and your cassette's go and see how the others are doing?"

Blaster nodded.

"Yeah good idea."

As Blaster headed off, Kup spoke to Rodimus.

"Well lad, what do you think about Triggerhappy's… 'defection'? Do you think it's real?"

Rodimus shrugged.

"I don't know Kup, but we've got to get out of here. If we take anymore damage…"

Kup sighed.

"I get the point. Shall we?"

Both Autobots made their way onto the bridge.

**_***********************************************_**

****

**Death's Head -**      I know. Having Triggerhappy defect to the Autobots doesn't seem right for him, but I've been planning something like that for some time. Besides, I have plans for him. R&R please. 


	15. Chapter 14

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

**__**

**************************************************

**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Inside the mausoleum shuttle :_**

Megatron faced Galvatron. Soundwave and Buzzsaw faced Acousia and the cassettes with her. They were unprepared for the interference of Rollbar. The Throttlebot leader aimed his mortar cannon at the group.

"I don't know what's going on here, but I do know one thing. I'm an Autobot, and your Decepticons, and if I allow you jerks to wake up the other idiots on this shuttle, well, let's just say I can't allow that."

Galvatron laughed.

"And who are you to stop me, little slave?"

And the mention of the word 'slave', Rollbar stiffened and aimed his cannon at Megatron. Megatron glared at Galvatron.

"You dare…"

"I dare a lot Megatron. You've had your time Megatron, this is MY time. Rollbar, destroy Megatron!"

Before Rollbar, Megatron or the others could say anything, a missile slammed into the floor, sending a gout of steam pumping into the air. Galvatron snarled, and fired his cannon, just as Megatron did the same. By some fluke, they missed each other. Galvatron was about to fire when he heard a voice speak.

"Sending others to do your dirty work Galvatron? Seems like you don't want to dirty your hands, yes?"

Galvatron whirled and looked down the corridor.

"YOU!"

Standing at the end, was the freelance peacekeeping agent, Death's Head. His right hand was removed and in it's place was hit weapon, the titanium shott blaster. In his left hand, he held the rifle version of the smaller blaster. Galvatron narrowed his optics as he gazed at the deadly weapons.

"What are you doing here bounty hunter? Still working for the Autobots?"

Death's Head laughed.

"Business is business. There is a substantial reward on your head, as well as your two cronies, Cyclonus and Scourge." He raised the weapons "And this time, I WILL collect it, yes?"

Megatron chuckled.

"It would seem, you have your hands full Galvatron. I think I'll leave this to you."

Death's Head held his rifle against his side, keeping it aimed on the Decepticons, as his hand pressed a button on the side of his rifle. A short signal was emitted, which reacted with the subliminal manipulation programming within Rollbar. The Throttlebot grasped his head, and the incessant beeping which had started in his head, since Galvatron had activated the subliminal manipulation programming, stopped. He gripped his cannon, and even though he didn't know what was going on, he knew a Decepticon when he saw them. He kept his weapon on Megatron and Soundwave.

"Dammit! My head is hurting like crazy, but if you make one wrong move Decepticon, I'll make you think different of me."

Acousia looked at the cassettes with her, and glanced at Soundwave, giving him a silent signal. He nodded and issued a mental command to Buzzsaw, to prepare himself to attack.

Death's Head glared at Galvatron.

"I've been hunting you for some time now Galvatron. Now, when I take your head…"

Galvatron snarled and fired his cannon at Death's Head.

"You'll take nothing, except DEATH!"

The blast slammed into the wall next to Death's Head, who had rolled away, aimed his cannons and fired. Galvatron slammed into the wall, as the blasts from Death's Head, caught him in his chest. Acousia sent the message to the cassettes before her to attack Death's Head, as Buzzsaw, under Soundwave's command, swooped and attacked Rollbar.

Rollbar dodged the condor's attack, and was about to fire on him, when Soundwave and Acousia fired their rifles at him. Rollbar staggered backwards and fell down. He glared at the two communicators.

"Agh, if the two of you want to play, _let's play!_"

Rollbar transformed into his jeep mode, and drove into them. Acousia and Soundwave went flying from the impact, as drove straight into Rumble and Frenzy. Ravage and Lazerbeak swooped on Death's Head, who tracked them, and fired. Both cassette's dodged the blasts, but fell victim to one of Death's Head's tricks. He had already pressed a button on his waist, which emitted a electromagnetic pulse which scrambled the insides of the two cassettes, who fell to the ground twitching.

Rollbar transformed into robot mode, and leaned against the wall. He looked at Death's Head.

"I've heard of you Death's Head, and I have to admit, the rumours I've heard haven't done you justice."

Death's Head, leaning against the wall opposite Rollbar, nodded.

"I just do my job Rollbar. Now, why don't we take these Decepticons out, before they wake their friends here, and we find ourselves optic deep in Decepti-Junk, yes?"

Rollbar nodded.

"I agree with you. Let's blast them!"

Both Autobot and peacekeeping agent leaned around the alcoves they were in, and opened fire. Their weapon blasts slammed into the deck, sending the Decepticons flying. Galvatron snarled and transformed into his cannon mode. Death's Head's optics widened.

"Rollbar, MOVE!"

Death's Head leaped at Rollbar, and both mechs fell into a nearby room, as Galvatron's blast hit the alcove Rollbar had been hiding in, destroying it completely. He transformed into robot mode and faced Megatron.

"It would seem, we have some cyber rats to take care of."

Megatron nodded.

"That we do. What are you proposing Galvatron?"

The Decepticon leader smiled.

"Look at what we both have accomplished. Think of the things we could do… _together!_"

Megatron studied his counterpart, and then smiled.

"Together, we could rule the universe. No one, would dare to oppose us."

Both leaders finished the sentence together.

"YES!"

Soundwave knelt and picked up Lazerbeak and Ravage. He faced Acousia.

"You?"

Acousia faced him.

"Your cassettes are now where they belong. Treat them well Soundwave."

Soundwave studied her, as Lazerbeak and ravage transformed back into cassette form, and Soundwave placed them back into his chest. Rumble and Frenzy leaped into the air, transforming and joining their fellows. Both communicators looked at each other, then at their leaders. Megatron and Galvatron turned and faced them.

Galvatron spoke first.

"Acousia, send a message to my forces. Tell them to return to Scorpononk now."

Megatron looked Soundwave.

"Soundwave, issue the same order to my forces. As soon as they are aboard Scorpononk, we shall have Alpha Destroyer begin the transfer of every Decepticon left aboard this ship, onto him. Then, we'll destroy this ship."

"I don't think so Megatron!"

Galvatron fired his cannon, as did Megatron. Both blasts would've hit Ultra Magnus and Triggerhappy, if Death's Head and Rollbar hadn't of leaped from the hiding spot they had been in, knocking Magnus and Triggerhappy down onto the floor. Ultra Magnus looked at his saviour.

"Death's Head!"

Death's Head nodded as he rose to his knees and fired his cannons, the blasts hitting the pipe above the Decepticons. The pipe exploded, sending the Decepticons flying. He looked at Ultra Magnus.

"Me. Please to see me, yes?"

Ultra Magnus groaned as he stood, his rifle before him.

"Death's Head, Rodimus and the other Autobots had to return to Earth. Therefore Triggerhappy and myself are here to assist you."

Rollbar looked at Ultra Magnus.

"Triggerhappy? He's a Decepticon! What is he doing on OUR side?"

Triggerhappy looked at Rollbar.

"I've defected to your side, Autobot. If you have a problem with that, then speak with Rodimus Prime."

Rollbar frowned, as Ultra Magnus looked at Death's Head.

"Death's Head. We can not let them achieve their plan. If they do…"

Death's Head nodded.

"Then shall we?"

The two Autobots, the Decepticon and peacekeeping agent, headed down the corridor after the Decepticons.

**_***********************************************_**

****

**Death's Head -**      Heh, heh, heh, it was about time I bring everyone's favourite, freelance peacekeeping agent, back into this story. He'll be encountering some 'competition', either later on in this story, or in the next book. I still don't know about writing a Book 4, but I'll just wait and see what happens. And with Megatron and Galvatron joining forces, don't look forward to a 'pleasant' partnership here. Two powerful forces, who hate each other, working side by side? What the hell was I thinking? R&R please. 


	16. Chapter 15

TRANSFORMERS : THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT 

**__**

**************************************************

**__**

**_Death's Head –_**I do not own The Transformers, nor Death's Head. Takara Industries/Hasbro/Marvel US/Marvel UK/Sunbow Entertainment/Saban Entertainment, all own parts of The Transformers. Marvel UK owns Death's Head. 

The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.

The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim.

The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.

 Also, please, please, PLEASE read all of my first Transformers story : **_Transformers : Book 1 : Death's Head_** and **_Transformers : Book 2 : Megatron's Revenge._** A lot of information is in that story, which is carried over into this one.

**************************************************

**_Outside the mausoleum shuttle :_**

Scorpononk and Alpha Destroyer moved into orbit of the shuttle, and the transfer commenced. Galvatron and Megatron were the only functional Decepticons left aboard the shuttle. Megatron looked at the screen before him. Only twenty deactive Decepticons remained onboard. He faced Galvatron.

"Soon, they'll be back where they belong. Among their own kind."

Galvatron nodded, and was about to respond, when a panel hit the ground behind him. As he turned, a blast of energy cut into his side, as Death's Head and Ultra Magnus leaped out of the vent, weapons blazing. 

Ultra Magnus fired his rifle at Megatron, forcing the Decepticon to leap behind a crate. Death's Head charged Galvatron, his axe attachment in his right wrist. He swung his arm, aiming for Galvatron's neck. The Decepticon snarled and fired his particle cannon, at point blank range. The blast caught Death's Head unawares and sent him into the wall. Death's Head slumped to the ground, not moving. Galvatron stood on his feet and faced Megatron, who was under fire from Ultra Magnus. Galvatron transformed into cannon form and fired. The blast slammed into Ultra Magnus, causing him to stumble forward.

Megatron smiled, as he stood and aimed his fusion cannon. He fired repeatedly at Ultra Magnus, who was also under fire from Galvatron. The heroic Autobot cried out, as the blasts cut into him, his right arm severed from his body, as was his left leg. The Autobot fell to the ground and didn't move, the glow in his optics dead.

Before Galvatron or Megatron could speak, a message came from Acousia, aboard Scorpononk.

"Lord Galvatron! We are under fire from four Autobot ships. Three of their attack shuttles and…"

Galvatron whirled and looked at the console.

"And?"

Acousia sighed.

"Omega Supreme."

Megatron snarled.

"Damn! The Autobots never learn! Galvatron…"

Before Galvatron could respond, a message came over the speaker.

"Attention Decepticon forces. Stand down and surrender or else we shall be forced to open fire."

Galvatron and Megatron looked at each other and said one name.

"_Optimus Prime!!_"

Aboard one of the Autobot shuttles, Optimus Prime looked at the young Autobot leader, Rodimus Prime.

"I can't leave you alone, can I Rodimus?"

Rodimus sighed.

"I'm sorry Optimus. I did what I thought was right at the time. Obviously it wasn't the right choice."

Grimlock snorted.

"Me Grimlock always say that. Me say you fool! Me say you idiot! Me say…"

Seraphim spoke quickly.

"Grimlock, listen. We get to fight Decepticons. You know, the bad guys?"

Grimlock looked at her, and then chuckled evilly.

"Me Grimlock smash puny Decepticons."

Over the comm., came a reply.

"Me Slag say you full of Sessium salami! Me Slag say, we Dinobots smash them all, together!"

Grimlock let a roaring laugh out.

"Slag! Good, me Dinobots together. Together we smash Decepticons!"

Another voice spoke over the comm., a deep, anger filled voice.

"OMEGA SUPREME DESTROY CONTERFEIT. ALPHA DESTROYER, DIE BY MY HAND!"

Seraphim looked over her shoulder at Optimus Prime.

"Well?"

  
Before Optimus could respond, Rollbar's voice came over the comm.

"Autobot fleet, we've got a problem here. Death's Head is down, and Ultra Magnus is no longer functioning. Repeat, Death's Head is down and Ultra Magnus is no longer functioning. We need help."

Optimus stood, optics narrow.

"Rodimus, take command of the fleet. Grimlock, Seraphim and Skyfire, you are with me."

As he turned to leave, Rodimus stopped him.

"Optimus…"

"I'm going Rodimus."

Rodimus stepped aside, as Optimus walked past him, the other three Autobots with him. The shuttle's outer hatch opened and Skyfire leaped out, transforming into jet mode. Optimus, Seraphim (and Kari) and Grimlock leaping into Skyfire's cargo bay. The Autobot jet blasted towards the mausoleum shuttle, dodging the energy blasts, ionising through space. As he approached the shuttle, Starscream flew towards Skyfire.

"Well, looks like I get to send you back to your grave again, _old friend_!"

Null ray blasts flashed around Skyfire, who banked to the left and flew low over the shuttle.

"Everyone, I'm coming up to the transfer port for the shuttle. As soon as I'm near, bail out. I'll take care of Starscream!"

Optimus nodded.

"We're ready when you are Skyfire."

The Autobot was 30 metres from the hatch and closing. His own cargo hatch opened, and just as he flew over his target, Optimus, Seraphim and Grimlock leaped out. No sooner had they landed, Starscream flew over them, weapons blazing as he fired on his former friend and mentor. Seraphim watched them, and Optimus spoke to her.

"Don't worry. Skyfire can handle himself."

Seraphim nodded, as Kari transformed into her cannon mode and fell into Seraphim's hand. Grimlock drew his blaster and sword, and looked over the edge of the hatch.

"Optimus. Seraphim. Me see Galvatron and Megatron. Me also see Death's Head and…"

Optimus drew his own blaster from his back, and checked the power gauge. Full charge. He faced the two Autobots with him.

"Remember to take extreme care. I do NOT want to loose you."

Seraphim and Grimlock nodded, and joined Optimus as he leaped through the hatch, weapons firing. Megatron cursed and fired at his old foe.

"Optimus Prime! Why won't you stay DEAD!!"

Optimus dodged the blasts and fired his blaster cannon.

"I could say the same about you Megatron!"

Grimlock charged Galvatron, Seraphim firing Kari at Galvatron. Galvatron dodged her blasts and uppercutted Grimlock, sending the powerful Dinobot flying into Seraphim, knocking both Autobots down. He aimed his particle cannon, and was about to fire, when Death's Head collided with him.

"You should've made sure I was destroyed Galvatron! Fatal mistake on your part, yes?"

Galvatron whirled and fired his cannon at Death's Head, who dodged the incoming blast and fired his missile at him, sending him across the deck. Death's Head glanced at Grimlock and Seraphim.

"You ok?"

Grimlock nodded.

"We fine. Deal with Galvatron together."

Death's Head faced Galvatron and nodded.

"Fine with me. The more, the merrier, yes?"

Meanwhile, Megatron had retreated into the crypt area of the shuttle, and aimed his cannon at the door. He knew Optimus would follow, and when he entered the room…

Optimus fell into the trap, catching the fusion blast in his shoulder. However, he also fired a shot at Megatron and smiled behind his mask, as the blast caught Megatron in his hip, spinning him around. Megatron snarled and channelled a small amount of the destructive energy of a black hole, aimed and fired. The blast hit Optimus, causing him immense pain, bringing the mighty Autobot to his knees. Megatron, weakened but still strong, smiled and fired his cannon's normal fusion blast at Optimus. However, Optimus had been pulled aside, into an alcove. Optimus groaned as his repair systems struggled to repair the damage to his systems.

Through pain clouded optics, Optimus looked at his saviour, and for a second, he was speechless. The Autobot in front of him, grasped his blaster.

"Rest brother. Leave Megatron to me."

Optimus stared at the robot, who then disappeared back into the shadowy room.

"It can't be…"

Megatron, meanwhile, had effected full repairs to his system, and looked around the room. He spoke in a loud voice, which echoed around the room.

"You can hide Optimus, but not for long! I'll find you, and when I do!"

"You'll do nothing Megatron! Not while I still function."

Megatron turned, weapon raised, to face the speaker. He stopped as he stared at the white and silver Autobot before him.

"Wha… A new paint job won't save you from me Optimus Prime!"

The White Autobot pointed Optimus Prime's blaster at Megatron.

"No, I'm not Optimus Prime. You almost succeeded in destroying back in the transfer room Megatron, but as you can see, I'm hard to kill."

Megatron snarled.

"Ultra Magnus!"

Ultra Magnus, without his armour, faced him.

"It's time to end you, once and for all Megatron!"

**_***********************************************_**

****

**Death's Head -**      Another battle between the Heroic Autobots and the Evil Decepticons. But with Ultra Magnus back, things look to be shaping pretty well for the Autobots. I brought Ultra Magnus back as the white and silver version of Optimus Prime, for one simple fact. I was looking at my figure of him earlier today, and seeing as the truck cab, is just a white version of Optimus Prime, I thought, have something happen to Magnus, in which I bring him back in this form, and thus, I did. Let me know what you think. Oh, and by the way, the other Decepticon femmes, Roadkill, Vette, Hydrina, Tempest and Darkshayde, will make their debut in a very… 'explosive' way. Have a read of their profiles, in my **_Transformers Original Character Bios_**, also located on this site. R&R please. 


	17. Chapter 16

Transformers : Book 3 :  
The Devil's Gambit  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - I do not own Transformers. Takara, Marvel, Marvel UK, Sunbow Entertainment, DW Comics and all the rest own them. I only own a couple of the figures. Also, I do not own the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Death's Head. Marvel UK does.  
  
The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.  
  
The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim. The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Back on the Asteroid :  
  
Jetfire and Outlaw looked at the derelict ship before them. Outlaw's gaze settled on the old and worn Autobot insignia on the side of the ship's hull.  
  
Jetfire studied the ship.  
  
"From out here, the ship looks pretty intact. The superstructure looks fine."  
  
Outlaw nodded.  
  
"True, but what's inside the ship? The occupants."  
  
Jetfire walked over to the hatch of the ship and checked the access panel.  
  
"Well, if we can open this hatch."  
  
Jetfire pressed some buttons and got only a single beep from it. Outlaw walked up to him.  
  
"Ships of this class, need a access code, usually the captain of the vessel has it, or the port authority the ship was last docked at, has a priority override code for every ship." Outlaw entered one of the port access codes he had from four of the major ports on Cybertron.  
  
The first code failed, as did the other three codes. Outlaw frowned as Jetfire let a short laugh escape. The dark Autobot glanced at him.  
  
"Jetfire."  
  
Jetfire raised his hands and stepped backwards.  
  
"Sorry, sorry."  
  
Outlaw faced the panel again, and frowned. He pressed a button on his right wrist, and a cable snaked out and plugged into the access port. Outlaw then accessed the ship's own security protocols, and managed to override the security. The hatch slid open, as the cable retracted back into his wrist. He faced Jetfire and bowed to him.  
  
"The door, is open Lord Jetfire."  
  
Jetfire chuckled.  
  
"No, after you, Lord Outlaw, I insist."  
  
Outlaw smirked and entered the ship, Jetfire behind him. Both Autobots stepped over the edge of the airlock, their gaze going over the room.  
  
"Doesn't look too bad. Not much damage here."  
  
Outlaw nodded.  
  
"Yeah, doesn't explain what happened to the ship though. Why don't you go and check out the engine room, while I go to the bridge and check things out."  
  
Jetfire grunted, then headed down the darkened corridor. Outlaw made his way towards the bridge, and looked in every room, on his way. As the dark Autobot reached the bridge, he sighed as he saw the same as in every other room. Nothing, everything looked normal. But then again.  
  
Outlaw walked over to one of the control consoles, and managed to access the ship's log. Jetfire, in the meantime, was looking over the engine room, anger glowing in his optics. The ship's main energon warp core, had been sabotaged, and with it, almost every other system on the ship. Only the barest amount of power remained, which was keeping not just the lower reserves of the computer core active, but also a chamber, several decks below his current position. He thumbed his communicator.  
  
"Jetfire to Outlaw, you there dark one?"  
  
Outlaw's response was quick.  
  
"I'm here bonehead. I've just accessed the ship's log. Looks like just after they left Cybertron, and had the warp core active, Elita had herself and her troops enter suspended animation, on deck four. They didn't know what hit them, so to speak."  
  
Jetfire nodded.  
  
"I agree. Judging from the look of the warp core itself, I'd say it was sabotaged by a Decepticon. On my way here, I noticed an escape pod was missing. Probably a Decepticon spy was onboard and after Elita and her troops went under, this Decepticon sabotaged the engine and bailed."  
  
Outlaw frowned.  
  
"But according to the log, only Autobot femmes were onboard. Interesting." A pause "Jetfire, is the damage severe?"  
  
"Heh, Outlaw old buddy of mine, give me a decacycle and I'll have this ship up and running, faster than you can say, Unicron's back!" Jetfire chuckled "I've already activated the ship's self repair function, so in a decacycle, the ship will be fully charged and ready to go."  
  
"Fully charged? How?"  
  
Jetfire turned and walked over to another console. He spoke as he pressed buttons.  
  
"The saboteur did a good job, true, but not good enough. The ship's core is severely depleted, yes, but the back up core is still full with energon. And we've got enough barrels of energon to keep this ship running smoothly for another four million years!"  
  
Outlaw let a smile spread across his face.  
  
"Good. Can you imagine what the look on Optimus's and the other Autobots faces will be, when we fly this ship back for a landing near Iacon?"  
  
Jetfire grinned.  
  
"Priceless, just priceless. Anyway, I'm all done here. I'm about to head down to deck four and have a little look around. You coming?"  
  
"On my way."  
  
Jetfire smiled again as he looked over the console before him, a satisfied look on his face.  
  
"Man, this ship is truly a work of art. Wish we had more like her."  
  
The Air Guardian, turned and exited the engine room.  
  
On deck four :  
  
Outlaw and Jetfire looked around the chamber, Jetfire was angry, as was Outlaw. In the chamber were twenty suspended animation tubes, unfortunately, all but five of the tubes were deactive. In each one, was a femme, and judging from the screen next to the tubes, the femme inside was deceased. Jetfire snarled.  
  
"I don't believe this! I don't care if it was a femme who did this! I swear, when we get back to Cybertron, I'm gonna track her down and."  
  
Outlaw looked at a screen, optics wide.  
  
"Jetfire! We've got a live one here!"  
  
Jetfire whirled and hurried over to Outlaw.  
  
"She's alive? Who is it?"  
  
Outlaw looked at the screen, a smile spreading.  
  
"Moonracer."  
  
Jetfire chuckled.  
  
"She's alive. Powerglide'll be happy."  
  
Outlaw frowned.  
  
"No he won't. Remember, he died on Earth, during the second battle." Outlaw then added "Amongst countless others."  
  
Jetfire sighed.  
  
"Damn. This is gonna be fun. We wake her, she asks us who we are? We tell her. She asks if the Autobots have won the war? We say no, not yet. She'll ask where's Powerglide? We say, sorry, he's dead. Killed when Abominus stomped on him!"  
  
Outlaw's frown deepened. Powerglide had indeed been killed when Abominus attacked Fortress Maximus, alongside Pirannacon and Citadel Supreme. A lot of Autobots died due to Outlaw's stupidity when he was known as Raiden, and he had a lot of sins to pay for. But for now, he was going to try and pay back on them. He reached over and activated a panel on the side of the tube.  
  
A soft blue light washed over Moonracer, as her systems were brought back online. Energon pumped through the cables behind the tube, flowing into her. As the lid opened, a cloud of moisture washed out, around Jetfire and Outlaw. Both Autobots studied the femme before them, looks of apprehension on Outlaw's face, and hope on Jetfire's.  
  
The femme's systems were online, and her energy full. Her optics opened, and a soft blue glow existed in them. She groaned.  
  
"Ohhh, my head. Whoever said being put in suspended animation, and then being woken up from it, is fun, obviously has never experienced it!"  
  
Jetfire smiled.  
  
"Alright Outlaw buddy! We did it! She's alive, ALIVE!!"  
  
Outlaw chuckled as he replied.  
  
"Jetfire, you have got to stop watching Earth TV with Wreck-Gar. It's poisoning your CPU."  
  
Jetfire laughed and slapped Outlaw on the shoulder.  
  
"So? It just seemed appropriate. Now, we just need to see how many others are in her condition and wake them."  
  
Moonracer looked at the two mechs before her, a wary look on her face.  
  
"Excuse me, but who are you two? I know that you're Autobots, from the insignia's on you, but I don't know you."  
  
Outlaw nodded.  
  
"Understandable. When last we met, I was very different than what I am now Moonracer. And as for Jetfire here, he was created about two million years after your departure from Cybertron."  
  
Moonracer looked at Outlaw, then Jetfire.  
  
"He's Jetfire. and who are you? If you say we met before."  
  
Outlaw nodded.  
  
"When last we met, I was known as Raiden. I helped design these S.A. tubes, alongside my sister, Seraphim, and partner, Valkyrie."  
  
Moonracer's optics went wide.  
  
"Raiden? You're Raiden? What happened to you? Why are you so different?"  
  
Outlaw raised his hand.  
  
"Firstly, I'm no longer designated Raiden. My current designation is Outlaw. As to the rest, we should wait until we wake up the others." He paused and said softly "If there are any others."  
  
Before Moonracer could respond, Jetfire called out.  
  
"Outlaw! I've found three others, who are in the same situation Moonracer was in. I've already activated the reawakening process!"  
  
Outlaw nodded as he faced him.  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
Jetfire paused as he quickly checked their names.  
  
"Let's see, Chromia, Firestar and Beta. They should be awake and moving around in a about ten astro seconds."  
  
Outlaw turned and helped Moonracer out of the tube. The femme stumbled into Outlaw, as her motors got adjusted to being active after such a long sleep.  
  
"Sorry kid." She looked at him "I guess I can't call you kid anymore, can I Outlaw?"  
  
Outlaw smiled.  
  
"Moonracer, how long have we known each other?"  
  
She chuckled.  
  
"Point taken." Moonracer looked at the other darknened tubes "Let me guess, the others didn't make it, right?"  
  
Outlaw shook his head. Moonracer sighed.  
  
"I told Elita that this technology was still experimental, but it was our only hope of survival."  
  
A strong femme voice answered.  
  
"Moonracer, Elita did what she did to save us. Remember that."  
  
Moonracer and Outlaw faced the speaker. Standing in front of her own S.A. tube, Beta nodded her thanks to Jetfire, who had gone to help Chromia out of her tube. Chromia muttered under her breath.  
  
"Where the heck is Ironhide? He's should be here, but knowing him, the pigheaded, stubborn old fool, has probably gone and got himself blasted, and is in Ratchet's repair bay."  
  
Jetfire glanced at Outlaw, who helped Moonracer to a seat.  
  
"Uhh, Outlaw. I've got a. question here for you."  
  
Outlaw looked over at Jetfire and Chromia.  
  
"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, after we check to see if anymore are alive."  
  
Firestar gasped as she saw the other dark tubes.  
  
"No! They're. all gone? How?"  
  
Outlaw stalked towards the remaining active tube.  
  
"Sabotage."  
  
Beta looked at the dark Autobot.  
  
"Sabotage? How?"  
  
Jetfire spoke.  
  
"I found evidence the warp core of the ship had been tampered with, which resulted in the ship going way off course, and crashing on this asteroid. Fortunately, the ship's superstructure is intact, and I have the ship's self repair system working at full power. The ship should be ready to launch in about three quarters of a decacycle."  
  
Chromia chuckled.  
  
"Sounds like your good with your hands. By the way, who are you?"  
  
Jetfire grinned.  
  
"Sorry. I'm Jetfire, and that's Outlaw. Although he was known as Raiden for a period of time."  
  
Beta studied the dark Autobot.  
  
"Raiden? You've changed."  
  
Outlaw studied the screen.  
  
"A lot's changed since you guys were last functional. A lot indeed." He frowned "Jetfire! Get over here!"  
  
Jetfire hurried over to Outlaw, as the femmes gathered together.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Outlaw frowned as he pointed at the status screen.  
  
"Look. Her systems are damaged. Whoever sabotaged the core, tried to sabotage this femme themselves, and partially succeeded."  
  
Jetfire looked at Outlaw.  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
Outlaw grasped the sides of the tube, and pulled. The lid snapped off in his hands, and a soft moisture cloud wafted onto the deck. He reached into the tube and gently retrieved it's occupant.  
  
"Meaning, if we don't' do some quick repair work, Elita-1 will die."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - First things first, I apologise about the format of this upload. My PC crashed and I lost ALMOST everything. Fortunately, my stories and everything else I care about was backed up and stored on my secondary hard drive. Unfortunately, it was my primary hard drive which crashed, and I had to reinstall everything. Bad news gets worse, in that I did not have a copy of Microsoft Office, so this update, and subsequent ones, will be in this format (Having to use Wordpad, and I really don't like using it. Oh well.).  
  
Well, now we all know what Outlaw and Jetfire have been doing. Awakening the lost Autobot femmes. Well, in Elita-1's case, they're gonna be busy. In response to a question raised by a reviewer, the Aerialbots, as well as the other gestalts (And one or two which haven't been mentioned in any fic yet, MWA HA HA HA!!) will be making an appearance later in this story (Or most assurdely in book 4, if I ever get around to writing it.). The Action Masters have already appeared, the Autobots were being led by Impactor in book 2, as the new Wreckers. The Decepticon Action Masters make up the Lost Decepticons, also mentioned and featured in Book 2. Valkyrie... I've got LOTS of plans for Outlaw's 'signifcant other', oh yes, lots of plans. BWA HA HA HA HA!!! R&R please.  
  
P.S. BIG NEWS! For this story at least, Death's Head will have some competition. The Decepticon mercenary Double-Dealer will be making an appearance, as will the Autobot mercenary, Def-Con. Stay tuned!! 


	18. Chapter 17

Transformers : Book 3 :  
The Devil's Gambit  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - I do not own Transformers. Takara, Marvel, Marvel UK, Sunbow Entertainment, DW Comics and all the rest own them. I only own a couple of the figures. Also, I do not own the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Death's Head. Marvel UK does.  
  
The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.  
  
The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim. The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.  
  
** ** - Indicates the character's thought.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Near Scorpononk :  
  
Grimlock slashed with his sword, slicing the wing off of Thrust. The Dinobot commander smiled to himself, as the red and black Seeker spiralled out of control and collided with the control tower of the massive Decepticon. Skyfire and Dogfight swooped overhead, the Aerialbots and the three Triple Changers, Springer, Sandstorm and Broadside, following them. They made a concentrated attack run on the Decepticon space rocket, Alpha Destroyer.  
  
Grimlock smiled.  
  
"Me enjoy myself."  
  
Seraphim, standing next to him, her weapon blasting, rolled her optics.  
  
"Really Grimlock? Heh, judging by the wrecked parts surrounding us, I'd say you were enjoying yourself immensely."  
  
Grimlock laughed and blasted Ramjet in his fuselage, sending the Seeker spiralling into Cyclonus. Scourge, meanwhile, had snuck up on the two Autobots, and smiled as he aimed his targetmaster partner, Fracas at them.  
  
"Heh, two for the price of one!"  
  
The tracker was about to fire, when a silver foot kicked his weapon, sending it flying across the deck. Scourge faced his attacker.  
  
"Damn femme! Time for you to die!"  
  
Scourge leaped at the femme, who caught him by his throat, lifting the tracker/mad scientist off his feet and squeezed.  
  
"No Scourge. No one destroys Autobots! Only I Destroy Autobots!"  
  
Scourge's optics went wide as he stared at the femme. Even though she wore the Autobot insignia on her, her optics glowed Decepticon red.  
  
"It can't be..."  
  
The femme smiled and dropped him to the deck.  
  
"Oh, but it can, heh, heh, oh, but it is. I have finally awakened Scourge, and, unfortunately, I need aid. Therefore, if you wish to continue to function, you will aid me. Understand?"  
  
Scourge rubbed his throat as he studied the femme before him. He recognised her, from her mannerisms and such, that this was Outlaw's mate before him. However, she was different. It was then he remembered what Valkyrie had been called, before Raiden had managed to bring her to the Autobots. He paled.  
  
"Celestine!"  
  
Valkyrie/Celestine smiled.  
  
"Good. You remember me Scourge. But then, the part of you which is still Skywarp, remembers me, doesn't he?"  
  
Before Scourge could respond, Valkyrie/Celestine aimed her weapons at Grimlock and Seraphim, and fired, the beams of energy cutting deep into the two Autobots, causing them to fall to the deck, spasming in pain. She faced Scourge.  
  
"I need troops Scourge. Find them! Bring them to Alpha Destroyer, in one cycle."  
  
Scourge nodded, and grasped his weapon, transforming and heading into the battle. Valkyrie/Celestine watched him go, then faced the wounded Autobots. She walked over to Seraphim, grasping her by the throat and lifting her up, level with her optics.  
  
"Seraphim, Seraphim, Seraphim, I have to admit, I did like you. Now, I just feel scathing hatred for you. For you and for Outlaw. Tell him, Celestine has returned, and I will finish what I started all those years ago. I give you and him, this warning, because, I guess, sentimental attachment I once felt for you and for... him."  
  
Seraphim looked at Valkyire.  
  
"Val... kyrie... why?"  
  
Celestine threw Seraphim into Grimlock, smiling as the two Autobots crashed onto the deck.  
  
"Remember what I said Seraphim. If you and your brother want to continue to function, do not stand in my way. I will not hesitate to destroy you."  
  
Celestine transformed into jet mode and flew towards Alpha Destroyer, leaving Grimlock and Seraphim behind. Grimlock looked at Seraphim, then gazed after Celestine.  
  
"We in big trouble."  
  
Meanwhile :  
  
Megatron slammed against the side of the hull, his chest armour dented and cracked. Ultra Magnus stepped in front of him and pulled him to his feet.  
  
"Megatron, you who started this war all those years ago. It is time to exorcise the past, and put you where you belong!"  
  
Before Ultra Magnus could carry out his threat, a black panther and two condors attacked him. Megatron smiled as Soundwave hit Ultra Magnus across the face, sending him down. Soundwave faced his leader.  
  
"Megatron, time to depart."  
  
Megatron nodded and was about to speak when Starscream and Skywarp blasted a hole in the hull, right next to Megatron, and entered.  
  
Skywarp looked at his leader.  
  
"Mighty Megatron, Autobot reinforcements have arrived. We must leave while we still can."  
  
A growl came from the darkness behind them, and Starscream shuddered as Galvatron and Acousia stepped out of the darkness.  
  
"You aren't thinking of leaving me behind, are you partner?"  
  
Megatron grimaced.  
  
"Nothing of the sort." he faced Soundwave "Have all the Decepticons been loaded into Alpha Destroyer?"  
  
Soundwave paused.  
  
"All Decepticons have been reloaded into Scorpononk, as per your orders."  
  
Megatron's optics widened.  
  
"I ordered no such thing!"  
  
Starscream smiled to himself.  
  
"The order came from Galvatron's little 'pet', Scourge. He said, he had orders from the two of you to reload them into that giant scrap heap, and then preapre for departure."  
  
Galvatron snarled as he lashed out with his fist, catching Starscream unawares, sending the Seeker into the wall.  
  
"Scourge! That accursed tracker! He's gone too far this time!"  
  
Skywarp was about to respond, when beams of energy splashed down the corridor. The Decepticons turned, and saw Triggerhappy, Rollbar and Death's Head firing their weapons at them. Starscream snarled and fired two cluster bombs down the corridor, before he leaped out the hole. Soundwave recalled Ravage, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw back into his chest, before helping Megatron out through the same hole Starscream had retreated through.  
  
Skywarp fired his cannons, as he spoke to Galvatron.  
  
"Go! I'll keep these Autobrats occupied!"  
  
Galvatron nodded and with Acousia's aid, followed Megatron towards Scorpononk. Skywarp snarled.  
  
"Well, looks like we can get this show going, eh?"  
  
Death's Head leaped at the dark Seeker, his axe attachment biting deep into Skywarp's shoulder, almost severing Skywarp's left arm completely. The Seeker fell backwards, holding his arm, as Death's Head stood before him.  
  
"Time for you to die, yes?"  
  
Skywarp snarled, and was about to teleport away, when a white fist slammed into the back of his head, rendering him unconcious. Death's Head nodded at the mech.  
  
"Good work. Thought you were dead Magnus, yes?"  
  
Ultra Magnus rubbed his chin.  
  
"It'll take more than a punch from Soundwave, and attacks from his little toys to stop me."  
  
Rollbar looked around.  
  
"Where's Optimus?"  
  
A weary voice spoke out.  
  
"Right here Rollbar."  
  
The two Autobots, the Decepticon and mercenary faced the battle damaged Optimus Prime, and as he fell, Death's Head caught him.  
  
"Easy. Taken a lot of damage yes?"  
  
Triggerhappy spoke.  
  
"We better get him to the repair facilites onboard the Autobot shuttles, and..."  
  
The comm on Optimus's wrist beeped for attention. Optimus activated it and spoke.  
  
"This is Optimus."  
  
The voice on the other end, sounded relieved.  
  
"Good to hear that old friend. I was afraid we arrived too late."  
  
Optimus smiled behind his mask.  
  
"No fear in that Xaaron. How goes the fight?"  
  
Aboard the Autobot flagship, the "INDEPENDENCE", Emirate Xaaron smiled.  
  
"Good. By all accounts, we've won. The Decepticons have been routed, and left aboard Scorpononk. Akpha Destroyer left earlier, just after we arrived. According to a report from Rodimus Prime, we've suffered numerous casualties, fortunately no fatalities."  
  
Optimus sighed.  
  
"That's good to hear, I..."  
  
Optimus slumped forward, optics dim. Ultra Magnus spoke over the comm.  
  
"Xaaron! Bring your ship as close to the mausoleum shuttle as you can, and prepare your repair bay! Optimus is hurt bad!"  
  
Xaaron's response was quick.  
  
"We are already within minimum distance to the shuttle. Repair bay, standing by."  
  
Death's Head hefted Optimus Prime over his shoulder.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Elsewhere :  
  
Seraphim groaned as Grimlock helped her to her feet. Her weapon transformed back into the armoured form of her Nebulon partner, Kari. Kari spoke softly.  
  
"What do we do now? Valkyrie has gone all Decepticon on us."  
  
Grimlock shook his head.  
  
"Me not know. Me not be one to tell Outlaw."  
  
Seraphim nodded.  
  
"That's my job Grimlock. I'll tell him. Right now, we..."  
  
Seraphim looked up and saw the Autobot scientist, Skyfire heading towards them. Even from the distance they were, Seraphim could see the damage Starscream had inflicted on his one time partner.  
  
Seraphim cringed as she saw the massive jet transform and land in front of them.  
  
"Skyfire, your injuries..."  
  
Skyfire smiled.  
  
"Are only cosmetic. Fortunately I lost Starscream in the middle of the fight. Unfortunately, I caught a few hits from that flying crustacean, before they left."  
  
Seraphim nodded, as Grimlock looked over at the new Autobot shuttle.  
  
"Reinforcements arrive. Too late for help."  
  
Skyfire nodded.  
  
"Come on, I'll take the three of you aboard Xaaron's shuttle. Optimus Prime was brought aboard the same shuttle for repairs."  
  
Seraphim looked at the giant Autobot.  
  
"Repairs? What happened?"  
  
Skyfire shrugged, then transformed.  
  
"Unsure, but when we get there, I'll be sure to ask. All aboard!"  
  
Grimlock, Seraphim and Kari boarded the jet, and as Skyfire headed towards the shuttle, Seraphim felt dread start to fester within her.  
  
**This is just great. Optimus is down, and Celestine is back. Dammit, where's Outlaw! He knew how to deal with Celestine, and how to turn her into Valkyrie. I just hope he gets here soon, and with good news, because we sure are gonna need it.**  
  
***********************************************  
  
On the asteroid :  
  
Outlaw cursed as he slammed the repair tools onto the counter. Chromia looked at him.  
  
"Outlaw, don't push yourself too hard."  
  
Outlaw faced her.  
  
"If I don't do something quick Chromia, Elita-1 will die. I can't have her death on my shoulders, as well as all the other sins I committed!"  
  
Chromia studied the young Autobot.  
  
"Outlaw, we can't change the past, all we can do is learn from our mistakes and ensure not to make them again."  
  
Outlaw snorted as he sat on a bench.  
  
"No wonder Ironhide loved you. Always the optimist."  
  
Chromia smiled sadly.  
  
"True. Yet my optimism in regards to seeing Ironhide again, will never come true."  
  
Outlaw looked at her face, and saw the grief etched there. Jetfire and himself had told the femmes about what has happened since their departure and subsequent stasis sleep. Optimus Prime and the Autobots with him, awakening on Earth, the Ark embedded at the base of Mt. St Hillary. The numerous battles on Earth and Cybertron and back again. When Outlaw told them about the first battle for Autobot City, in particular the death's of Prowl, Brawn, Ratchet and, in Chromia's case, Ironhide, they reacted which shock and horror. When they heard how the mighty Optimus Prime, mate of their leader, had fallen at the hands of his nemesis, Megatron, Beta had a slight smirk on her face, no doubt thinking of what it would've look like to see Megatron fall.  
  
Jetfire then told them about his return, thanks to the planet devourer and Dark God, Unicron. How Unicron had taken the battered and broken form of Megatron and reformatted him into the dangerous, deadly and utterly ruthless Decepticon, Galvatron.  
  
Outlaw could'nt help but smirk there. He knew that Unicron had tortured Galvatron into doing his bidding, and how even the mightiest Decepticon was brought to his knees in pain over the immense torture inflicted upon him mentally. That mental barrage from Unicron had no doubt started the damage to Galvatron's psyche and when Cyclinus and Scourge found Galvatron on that distant planet, in a lava pool, the lava had leaked into his head casing, causing even more damage, turning the powerful and noble warrior, into the psychotically deranged lunatic he is today.  
  
Outlaw also knew, that out of all of Unicron's henchmen, there had been only one he couldn't control, no matter how much torture Unicron inflicted, the entity fought him and won, even entering Unicron's mind, and discovered the true origins of the Transformers and their god, Unicron's arch enemy, Primus.  
  
Jetfire then explained about the second battle for Autobot city, and told Moonracer and Firestar, how their own loves, Powerglide and Inferno died. Both femmes comforted each other and Jetfire looked at Outlaw and Chromia.  
  
"Outlaw, we need to find another cosmotron, otherwise Elita..."  
  
Outlaw nodded as he stood.  
  
"Understood Jetfire. I know where we can get one from."  
  
Chromia spoke.  
  
"Where? We don't have any spares aboard the ship."  
  
Outlaw gazed at her, a cold look of determination on his face.  
  
"We have at least fifteen spares on deck four. We just use one of them."  
  
Jetfire and the femmes looked at him, horror on their faces. Moonracer stepped in front of Outlaw, blocking his way.  
  
"You're talking about the others aren't you? Our comrades in the stasis tubes! You can't desecrate them Outlaw, I forbid it!"  
  
Outlaw stare coldly at her.  
  
"Then Elita dies. Care to explain that to Optimus, Moonracer?"  
  
Moonracer faltered slightly, but Firestar backed her up.  
  
"Outlaw, you do this, you're nothing more but a Decepticon in disguise!"  
  
The dark Autobot snorted, his optics glowing dangerously.  
  
"You forget dear Firestar, I WAS a Decepticon. I served under Ratbat, as well as Astrotrain on Cybertron for over a million years! I do what I do to survive."  
  
Beta spoke, anger in her voice.  
  
"Is that what you were taught by the Decepticons, or by being a puppet assistance to a bounty hunter!"  
  
Jetfire raised his hands, trying to calm everyone down.  
  
"Heeeyyyy, calm down guys. Let's stop and think things through rationally here..."  
  
Outlaw shook his head.  
  
"Fine. You guys talk, I'll go and save Elita's life."  
  
Outlaw stalked past the two femmes before him, heading to deck four. Moonracer, Firestar and Chromia in pursuit. Beta looked angrily at Jetfire.  
  
"Jetfire..."  
  
Jetfire sighed.  
  
"Not my fault, your worshipfulness. When Outlaw gets like this, it's best to just let him be."  
  
Beta turned and walked out of the room, leaving Jetfire alone. The Air Guardian sighed and followed.  
  
"Why me? Why am I always in the middle of crap like this?"  
  
On deck four :  
  
Jetfire made his way to the stasis room, in time to hear the femmes gasp. He peered around the corner and his optics widened. Outlaw had ripped the lid off one of the dead stasis tubes and, without any tools, tore the chest plate off the deactivated femme inside, removing the cosmotron from the dead femme.  
  
Beta and Chromia were furious, and Moonracer and Firestar had drawn their weapons. Jetfire stepped in front of them.  
  
"Now ladies, let's not do anything rash here."  
  
Firestar kept her blaster levelled on Outlaw.  
  
"Get out of the way Jetfire! After what he just did, he deserves to die!"  
  
Moonracer nodded in agreement.  
  
"It's time for him to pay for his sins! By his own admission, he brought about the death of my Powerglide on this planet, Earth!"  
  
Jetfire sighed to himself.  
  
"Ladies, please!"  
  
Meanwhile, Outlaw had opened Elita's chestplate and removed the old cosmotron, replacing it with the 'spare'. No sooner had he closed the femme's chest, her optics flickered, then glowed faintly.  
  
"Wha... Who...?"  
  
Outlaw glanced over his shoulder at the femmes and Jetfire.  
  
"Well, look whos awake now."  
  
Beta looked at the femme sitting up on the bench.  
  
"Elita..? You're alive?"  
  
Elita-1 looked up at the room's occupants, her gaze settled on her old friend.  
  
"Beta... where are we?"  
  
Beta walked forward, past Outlaw, and approached her friend.  
  
"According to these two, our shuttle crashed on an asteroid in the Paradron system."  
  
Elita nodded slowly, as she looked at the three other femmes. She spoke again.  
  
"What happaned? Where are...?"  
  
Beta sighed.  
  
"Only the five of us survived the crash. The others, their stasis tubes had been tampered with. They..."  
  
Outlaw spoke suddenly.  
  
"They died. Deceased. No longer functioning. Empty shells. Scrap Metal."  
  
Jetfire whirled on Outlaw.  
  
"Outlaw! What's wrong with you! Why are you behaving like this?"  
  
Outlaw studied Jetfire, then turned on his heel and stalked off.  
  
"Jetfire, do me a favour. Keep out of my way."  
  
Jetfire watched his friend leave.  
  
"What the?"  
  
The other femmes all looked at each other, and Chromia was about to speak, when Elita spoke.  
  
"Raiden is still the same."  
  
Beta watched Elita get off the bench and stand, a bit shakily, in front of them.  
  
"Elita, how did you know?"  
  
Elita smiled to herself.  
  
"Because I know Raiden. I witnessed his creation, and that of Seraphim and Valkyrie. I also know, or have a idea about what's wrong with 'Outlaw' now."  
  
Jetfire faced her.  
  
"What's wrong with him?"  
  
Elita walked towards the door, and spoke.  
  
"When Raiden was created, there was a fault in his operating system and BIOS. A copy was made from Seraphim, and used, but that failed as well. The only way to correct the problem, was to slave him to Valkyrie, and download her operating system and BIOS into him. It worked... to an extent."  
  
Beta shook her head.  
  
"I can't believe that was done. There are that many problems which could arise from a procedure like that! Who created them?"  
  
Elita left the room, the others following her.  
  
"First, Moonracer, find Outlaw and head to the bridge with him. The rest of us will meet you there."  
  
Moonracer nodded, then turned and headed down the corridor. The others headed towards the bridge in silence. As soon as they entered, Elita nodded at Chromia and Beta, who quickly booted the ship's computer and engaged the engine warm up cycle. Elita sat in the central chair and continued her story.  
  
"Raiden, Seraphim and Valkyrie, were created in Vector Sigma. The three of them, were the last Autobots created by Alpha Trion. Unfortunately, Straxus and the Decepticons with him, attacked and took Raiden and Valkyrie. Straxus subverted the programming within the two, and made them his own personal bodyguards. Valkyrie renamed herself Celestine, and caused nothing but death and destruction to not just Autobot but Decepticon as well. Raiden fought against the programming and was imprisoned within Polyhex." She paused "Impactor, Ultra Magnus, Chromia and Myself, managed to retrieve him, but not before Celestine attacked, Straxus by her side. Ultra Magnus and Impactor both fired simultaneously, causing the Decepticon to explode. Only his head survived the explosion."  
  
Chromia nodded, as she remembered that day.  
  
"Last I heard, Shockwave had the head of Straxus imprisoned within a nutrient energon vat."  
  
Elita smiled.  
  
"That is correct. After subduing Celestine, Alpha Trion managed to purge the Decepticon programming from Raiden and Valkyrie's systems. Then I led what was left of my forces away from Cybertron, and that's all I know."  
  
Jetfire leaned against a console, arms folded across his chest.  
  
"That explains why Raiden, and subsequently Outlaw, is so..."  
  
"Disturbed?"  
  
Jetfire looked and saw Moonracer and Outlaw enter the bridge. Outlaw walked over to the navigation and engineering console, and uploaded the navigation data he had from the shuttle he arrived on.  
  
"There. Course plotted in." he looked over at Moonracer, who was sitting at the helm "Engines are at full power. Structural integrity field at 89% and holding."  
  
Moonracer nodded, then looked at Elita.  
  
"Boss, ready to head home?"  
  
Elita smiled.  
  
"Home. Moonracer, take us home."  
  
Moonracer nodded and pressed numerous buttons. Jetfire walked over to Outlaw.  
  
"Outlaw..."  
  
Outlaw shook his head.  
  
"Save it for when we're back on Cybertron. Right now, I need to ensure the engines are working at full capacity." He looked at Elita "I'll be in the engine room."  
  
With that said, the dark Autobot left the bridge. Chromia looked at Jetfire.  
  
"Has Outlaw always..."  
  
Jetfire sighed and nodded.  
  
"For as long as I've known him, he has."  
  
Elita spoke softly.  
  
"Jetfire, I want you to tell me everything about Outlaw, Seraphim and Valkyrie. I need to know everything about what they've been doing over the past four million years."  
  
Jetfire looked at her.  
  
"It's a long story..."  
  
Firestar, sitting near the weapons console, spun her chair around.  
  
"It'll take us about 90 Decacyles to get back to Cybertron. So we've got plenty of time to listen to your story."  
  
Jetfire nodded and then started to tell them, everything he knew about Outlaw, Seraphim and Valkyrie.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - Ok. First, I hope you all enjoy this BIG update. Now I need to figure out the rest, lol. Second, the Cosmotron was the vital replacement part, Optimus Prime needed replaced in the sixth episode, Divide and Conquer, of The Transformers, Generation One, Season One (I got the Generation One DVD boxset yesterday, so I've got a LOT more info.), so I used it here. Ironic that Optimus Prime needed the replacement, and so does Elita-1.  
  
I may even bring in, G.P. Blackrock, Circuit Breaker and even Dr Archiville into the next book. At this point in time, book 4 will be set almost entirely on Earth, so any suggestions for book 4, would be gratefully appreciated.  
  
Also, the change in Valkyrie into Celestine, was one I've been planning since book 1. I just needed to figure out how I was going to do so. Outlaw's reaction to what happenned to her, will be... Heh, explosive, yes? R&R please. 


	19. Chapter 18

Transformers : Book 3 :  
The Devil's Gambit  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - I do not own Transformers. Takara, Marvel, Marvel UK, Sunbow Entertainment, DW Comics and all the rest own them. I only own a couple of the figures. Also, I do not own the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Death's Head. Marvel UK does.  
  
The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.  
  
The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim. The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.  
  
** ** - Indicates the character's thought.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Later, aboard Scorpononk :  
  
Galvatron was sitting on the singular control throne, a dark brood settled about him. Megatron was leaning against the wall, a slight evil smile on his face, as he watched his 'partner'. Zarek, the Nebulon component of the massive Decepticon they were aboard, looked up from his console, smiling.  
  
"Galvatron, Megatron, I believe I have some good news for the two of you."  
  
Megatron glared at the fleshling and snorted.  
  
"A mergence of Decepticon and fleshling. How disgusting."  
  
Galvatron glanced at his 'other', then spoke.  
  
"Fleshling he may be Megatron, but he is also wiser than some Decepticons, I find myself in the company of." He ignored the glare of anger from Megatron, directed at him, and spoke to Zarek "What news?"  
  
Zarek faced the two powerful Decepticons.  
  
"Your comrades are all fully functional. That Autobot supply ship, with all that lovely Nucleon energy onboard, worked rather nicely." He paused "However, Starscream has, how shall I say this, changed his appearance once again."  
  
Megatron snorted.  
  
"Starscream is a showoff, as well as a weakling. Useful he may be, but once a tool has outlived it's usefulness..."  
  
A sneering voice spoke behind him.  
  
"And what about you mighty Megatron. Your time ended years ago, and yet, here you are, still causing trouble for me."  
  
Megatron turned slowly and looked at the speaker. It was Starscream, but his colours were different. No longer did he wear the silver and red colouring he once wore, now he wore a black and gold colour scheme. The dark Seeker sauntered into the room and sat in the spare chair, a haughty look on his face.  
  
"My, my, so many dark looks in this room. Tell me something, have the three of you been trying to figure who should be the SENIOR partner in this little 'venture' of ours?"  
  
Megatron glared at Starscream, while Galvatron stood and walked over to the dark Seeker. He grabbed Starscream by the throat, lifting him out of the chair.  
  
"Have a care Starscream. You will do whatever you are told, or I will do to you, what I did just before Unicron attacked Cybertron!"  
  
Starscream nodded.  
  
"You're... the... boss, Boss."  
  
Galvatron smirked and threw Starscream into the wall.  
  
"You're right Starscream, I AM the Boss."  
  
Megatron narrowed his optics and said nothing, however, he had dark thoughts running through his processor.  
  
**Have a care 'partner'. For now, I shall serve with you. In time, it will be ME who commands, while you are nothing but a pile of bolts!**  
  
Galvatron turned and walked back to his throne, as he sat in the chair, he turned his gaze onto Megatron.  
  
"I know what you are thinking Megatron. After all, we were once the same mechanoid, created by Unicron. We still share the same memories." the formerly insane dictator faced Megatron, a coldness in his optics "I know what you are planning, and it will not succeed Megatron."  
  
Megatron returned the gaze, then turned on his heel and stalked out of the control room. Zarek chuckled.  
  
"My, my, a very complex, yet simple individual."  
  
Galvatron turned the same cold gaze onto the Nebulon, and smiled inwardly as Zarek flinched.  
  
"Have a care Zarek. Remember, I WAS Megatron once, before my, how shall I say it, Ascension into what I am now." his optics glowed dangerously "Remember your place among us Zarek. Now leave me."  
  
Zarek nodded, then left the room. As soon as the door slid shut, Galvatron smiled evilly.  
  
"The fools. They really think I would continue this 'partnership' with Megatron and Zarek for long? Imbeciles!" He pressed a button on the arm of his throne, and waited. On a small screen, near the throne, an image of the Decepticon pretender, Thunderwing. "Thunderwing, report."  
  
On Charr, Thunderwing faced the screen.  
  
"All systems fully functional. Carnivac and Snarler have been repaired and upgraded as have all Pretenders. Doubledealer brought the six CPU's we needed from Cybertron, and final construction is underway on the new Triggercons and Firecons."  
  
Galvatron smiled.  
  
"Good. And the Duocons?"  
  
Thunderwing smiled.  
  
"Flywheels and Battletrap are training with Runabout and Runamuck. All four at full operating capacity."  
  
Galvatron nodded.  
  
"Good work Thunderwing, good work indeed. I have new orders for you. Take all remaining Decepticons, and bring them to the old Decepticon base, the remains of the NEMESIS, in the Atlantic ocean on the planet Earth. Wait there until I next contact you."  
  
Thunderwing bowed.  
  
"I live to serve."  
  
Galvatron cut the transmission and smiled.  
  
"Heh, heh, heh, all the pieces are falling into place. Once I have achieved my plans, Megatron, Zarek, your usefulness to me, will end. And when that day comes..."  
  
Galvatron fired his particle cannon at a nearby console, smiling as it exploded. His optics started to glow fiercely.  
  
"Soon, so very, very soon."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - Galvatron doesn't really trust his new 'partner' or fleshling partner much, does he? But then again, with friends like the ones he has with him, who needs enemies? Also, Thunderwing and the Decepticons with him, on Charr, what role are they going to play in Galvatron's plans? R&R please. 


	20. Chapter 19

Transformers : Book 3 :  
The Devil's Gambit  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - I do not own Transformers. Takara, Marvel, Marvel UK, Sunbow Entertainment, DW Comics and all the rest own them. I only own a couple of the figures. Also, I do not own the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Death's Head. Marvel UK does.  
  
The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.  
  
The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim. The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.  
  
** ** - Indicates the character's thought.  
  
***********************************************  
  
On Cybertron :  
  
Inside the med bay of Iacon, Optimus Prime lay on one of the repair beds, numerous repair drones working on him. The micromaster medic, Fixit, hard at work. Ultra Magnus stood near the observation window, arms folded across his chest as he watched the medic work. Emirate Xaaron walked up to the white Autobot.  
  
"How's it going Ultra Magnus?"  
  
Ultra Magnus sighed.  
  
"According to Fixit, the damage to Optimus is severe. He really needed that shipment of Nucleon, to effect permanent repairs. As it stands...."  
  
Xaaron nodded. The transport was destroyed, no survivors and the Nucleon destroyed as well. At least, that's what he hoped. If the Decepticons were involved...  
  
"I'm sure fixit will be able to repair him. If not, we can always have his Powermaster body and his Nebulon partner, Hi-Q, brought here from Earth and..."  
  
A voice interrupted them.  
  
"Already thought of that Xaaron. I even have Brainstorm and the other Nebulon partnered Autobots aboard my shuttle, when we encountered the Decepticons near the mausoleum shuttle."  
  
Ultra Magnus and Emirate Xaaron turned and faced the young leader of the Autobot army, Rodimus Prime. Ultra Magnus smirked, sourly, behind his facemask.  
  
"So that's why you had them brought along? I thought waiting for Death's Head's signal to attack was the reason you brought along our most strongest warriors?"  
  
Rodimus shrugged as he looked through the observation window.  
  
"He's pretty bad, isn't he?"  
  
Ultra Magnus nodded.  
  
"Fixit is doing his best, but..."  
  
Rodimus pressed a button on his wrist.  
  
"Brainstorm, Highbrow, bring Optimus's powermaster body to med bay 12. Have Hi-Q with you."  
  
Brainstorm's response was prompt.  
  
"Of course Rodimus, no sweat. I've even completed the adjustments to the old body as well. When old Optimus is back in this, he'll feel like he just came off the assembly line!"  
  
Rodimus chuckled as he switched off the comm.  
  
"Brainstorm is a little crazy, but most of his ideas work... most of the time."  
  
Before his companions could say anything, Mainframe entered the room.  
  
"Sirs! We've just picked up an extremely old Autobot shuttle on approach. We're... picking up a transmission from the ship, I think one of you will want to take."  
  
Xaaron nodded.  
  
"Patch it through." he looked at Rodimus "Well, you're the senior ranking officer..."  
  
Rodimus sighed as he walked over to the comm station.  
  
"I'm honoured." he pressed some buttons and waited for the screen to come to life. When the screen revealed who was on the approaching shuttle, he smiled. "Well, I never thought I'd see you again Outlaw. How did your quest go?"  
  
The image on the screen shrugged.  
  
"Alright I guess Hot Rod. Jetfire and myself succeeded in finding our target. We're bringing the shuttle into land now, because if we don't, it'll fall right down on your heads. Meet us in landing bay 14."  
  
Rodimus blinked as the screen went dead.  
  
"My, he's gotten a lot more... hostile towards authority."  
  
Xaaron chuckled.  
  
"That's Outlaw for you Rodimus. As it stands, only Optimus and Death's Head managed to keep him from killing Impactor, just after Megatron and Galvatron left Cybertron a while ago." the yellow Autobot sighed "Even when he was Raiden, he thumbed his nose up at authority. Still, one can't argue with the fact he always succeeds in his missions. Even if he does do them his own, personal way."  
  
Ultra Magnus nodded.  
  
"That's true. In any event, I think we should go and meet him."  
  
Rodimus looked at Ultra Magnus.  
  
"Where's Seraphim and Grimlock?"  
  
At the mention of those two names, Ultra Magnus and Xaaron paled. They knew what Rodimus was getting at. Mainframe, standing still, spoke up.  
  
"I'll contact them and have them meet you at landing bay 14."  
  
Rodimus nodded at the Autobot, then led Xaaron and Ultra Magnus away. Mainframe shuddered as he activated the comm console.  
  
"Mainframe to Seraphim, Mainframe to Seraphim. Do you read?"  
  
Seraphim's response was curt.  
  
"Yes Mainframe?"  
  
"Outlaw and Jetfire have returned. They're landing at landing bay 14. Rodimus would like..."  
  
A fierce and angry voice echoed over the comm.  
  
"Me Grimlock not care what crappy Rodimus want! Me go, where me WANT to go!"  
  
Other similar sounding comments echoed Grimlock's own. Mainframe sighed. Obviously the other Dinobots had joined Grimlock and Seraphim.  
  
Seraphim's voice sounded weary, as she spoke.  
  
"Fine. We'll be there. Seraphim out."  
  
Mainframe sighed as he deactivated the console.  
  
"I should've stayed in my recharge bay today, I really should've...."  
  
***********************************************  
  
In Landing bay 14 :  
  
Silverbolt watched the battered hulk land, and whistled as the shuttle engine's shut down.  
  
"Man, now THAT'S a ship."  
  
Air Raid nodded.  
  
"Amazing it can still fly. Outlaw and Jetfire must've refitted it's engines with whatever spare parts they had onboard." he paused "Or got lucky."  
  
Bumblebee, inside his pretender shell, smiled.  
  
"Outlaw and Jetfire are two resourceful mechs. I bet they could even get the Ark spacebourne again."  
  
Silverbolt looked at the pretender.  
  
"They may just do it. Heh, anyway, let's lock the docking clamps and make sure it's safe."  
  
The three Autobots made their way towards the shuttle, just as Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and Emirate Xaaron entered the bay. Xaaron looked at the shuttle before him.  
  
"An old TJR Z7R transport shuttle. They don't make them like that anymore."  
  
Ultra Magnus smiled.  
  
"True. Those babies where built to last. Almost as reliable as the Ark."  
  
Rodimus looked at Ultra Magnus.  
  
"The Ark was the only one of it's class, wasn't it?"  
  
Xaaron nodded.  
  
"Unfortunately we didn't have enough parts at the time to build more than one. That's why we built the TJR's."  
  
Before Rodimus could respond, the hatch of the shuttle opened and Outlaw and Jetfire stepped out. Rodimus noted the look, the scowl on Outlaw's face and sighed inwardly. He had a feeling Outlaw was going to go a little... crazy.  
  
The dark Autobot strode down the ramp, a scowl upon his face. Jetfire followed as did the shuttle's occupants. Xaaron blinked twice as he saw them.  
  
"I... I don't believe my optics..."  
  
Rodimus and Ultra Magnus both nodded as Outlaw and the mechs with him, approached the command group. Outlaw stopped in front of Rodimus, the dark Autobot towering over the young leader.  
  
"Mission accomplished Hot Rod. Jetfire and myself, found the lost femmes." he leaned down so he was staring Rodimus in the optics "Now, where is Seraphim, Valkyrie and the others who were with Jetfire and myself?"  
  
Rodimus nodded slowly.  
  
"Seraphim and Grimlock are on their way here as we speak and..."  
  
Just then, Seraphim, Grimlock and their 'escort' entered. Jetfire looked at the powerful Dinobots as they looked over the landing bay, Grimlock nodding his head in acknowledgement towards Outlaw. Outlaw returned the gesture.  
  
"Alright Hot Rod. I take it you know who these mechs are? If not, I'm sure Xaaron or Magnus can inform you as to their identities." He paused "Also, I think you had better get some medics and whatever scientists are left from Wheeljack and Brainstorm's little 'club' down here as well. There are some femmes left aboard the shuttle which need repairs."  
  
One of the femmes, Moonracer, spoke in an angry tone.  
  
"One of our companions needs extensive work done on her, after HE ripped her chest chassis off, and forcibly removed an integral part from her!"  
  
Outlaw stared coldly at her, until she backed down and turned her head away.  
  
"If I didn't do it Moonracer, instead of FIVE survivors, there would have been only FOUR. Tell me something Moonracer, what would YOU of done?"  
  
Moonracer paused.  
  
"Uhh... I'd.... ummm...."  
  
Outlaw nodded.  
  
"Just as I thought. Jetfire, meet me at my lab in one cycle."  
  
Jetfire sighed.  
  
"Ok boss. Meet you there."  
  
Outlaw turned and walked towards the hanger door.  
  
"Where's Death's Head?"  
  
Seraphim spoke.  
  
"At your lab. He went straight there after the fiasco with the Decepticons and when Valkyrie...."  
  
Outlaw stopped, and slowly turned around and faced his sister.  
  
"What happened."  
  
Grimlock looked at Seraphim, who nodded.  
  
"Valkyrie gone. Celestine back."  
  
Outlaw's optics narrowed dangerously.  
  
"I see. Grimlock, Seraphim and Jetfire, at my lab."  
  
With that said he turned and faced the exit of the hanger and transformed into his vehicle form, a black semi trailer, and drove off. Elita-1 spoke to Xaaron.  
  
"He still has some problems with his OS doesn't he?"  
  
Xaaron nodded.  
  
"Yes. Even in his new form, the damage is getting worse. If only Optimus was functioning..."  
  
At the mention of Optimus, Elita stared coldy at the former leader of the Autobot Cybertron resistance.  
  
"What about Optimus?"  
  
Xaaron sighed, and looked at Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime.  
  
"Ahh, Elita, perhaps we should just show you."  
  
Xaaron turned and headed towards one of the other exits to the hangar, Ultra Magnus, Chromia and the other femmes following. As Rodimus turned to follow, Elita stopped him. He looked at her.  
  
"Uhh, yes Elita?"  
  
The femme stared at him.  
  
"How bad is Optimus?"  
  
Rodimus sighed.  
  
"He took numerous blasts from Megatron, aboard the Decepticon mausoleum shuttle. If Ultra Magnus hadn't of intervened when he did...."  
  
Elita nodded, her CPU assimilating the information.  
  
"What's his chances?"  
  
Rodimus shook his head, sadly.  
  
"I don't know. It's not looking good."  
  
Elita sighed and walked towards the exit the others had gone through. Rodimus looked back over the old shuttle.  
  
"Why do I have a feeling, this is all foreshadowing something else, something big and evil." the young leader sighed again "I haven't felt like this since even before Unicron. I just hope this... 'feeling' I have is wrong."  
  
Rodimus turned and exited the hanger. However, unknown to the Autobots, a small Decepticon spy cassette had recorded everything which had occurred within the bay. It flexed it's bat like wings and flew off towards the old cybertronian city of Kaon, the birthplace of the most fearsome Decepticon leader ever, Megatron  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - Sorry about the rather extreme lateness of this update people. Been busy with other projects and... other... personal matters. Also, before some people say it in reviews, I'll explain why Outlaw is the way he is, towards Rodimus. When he was created in Vector Sigma, there was a severe problem with his OS and other main programs. Therefore, he was linked to Valkyrie, and had part of her OS and main programs uploaded into him, to compliment his existing system. However, due to this link he has with Valkyrie, when she fell back into her subverted programming and once again became the Decepticon femme, Celestine, Outlaw felt the change only subtly. Therefore his own system is responding to the change, therefore he has little or no respect for authority. It is also 'documented' in the previous chapter, in more detail.  
  
In any event, I'll try and update again before Christmas, if not, before New Year. I hope so anyway, :). R&R please. 


	21. Chapter 20

Transformers : Book 3 :  
The Devil's Gambit  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - I do not own Transformers. Takara, Marvel, Marvel UK, Sunbow Entertainment, DW Comics and all the rest own them. I only own a couple of the figures. Also, I do not own the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Death's Head. Marvel UK does.  
  
The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.  
  
The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim. The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.  
  
** ** - Indicates the character's thought.  
  
***********************************************  
  
On Earth, near Perth in Western Australia :  
  
Buried under King's park, in close proximity of the Western Australian captial. Scourge smiled as he watched the screen before him. His new master, Celestine, had demanded of him, more Decepticons for her to rule, and Scourge was happy to satisfy her hunger for troops. He leaned back in his chair and laughed.  
  
"Those plans where perfect! I have no idea where Celestine got them from, and I don't care! Soon, the most evil and powerful Decepticon ever will be born, and no one, not even that psychotic scraplet, Galvatron will be able to stop him! HA HA HA HA HA!!!"  
  
A femme voice spoke from behind him.  
  
"Why is it, whenever I hear that laugh of yours, my audio receptors hiss."  
  
Scourge turned in his chair and faced the speaker.  
  
"Well, well, well Vette. I never thought you'd ever come into my lab."  
  
The white and green femme walked into the room and leaned against a nearby console.  
  
"Trust me, the only reason I'm here is so I don't get our leader annoyed."  
  
Scourge nodded.  
  
"And how are the other femmes coping?"  
  
Vette shrugged.  
  
"They're just staying away from the control room. Celestine is... how shall I say this.. insane."  
  
Scourge chuckled.  
  
"Some may call it insanity. I call it, true enlightenment."  
  
Vette stared at him, optics narrowed.  
  
"Sounds to me, you admire her."  
  
Scourge nodded.  
  
"Oh I do. You see, when Celestine first appeared on Cybertron, I was lying dormant aboard the Autobot's Ark as Thundercracker. She served under Lord Straxus, and very briefly under Shanix. Before her, 'subversion' into the Autobot ranks, she was a true leader. She helped create the Decepticon elite battle group, The Mayhems. Heh, I've read all the files I could get my hands on, in regards to Celestine, and let me tell you something." He leaned forward in his chair, shadows being cast over his face, so only his optics glowed "She is truly dangerous, evil and deadly. And I like that!"  
  
Vette studied the former tracker before her.  
  
"Scourge, you are truly insane. When Unicron reformatted you, I don't think he did a thorough job, and he let your CPU suffer."  
  
With that said, Vette turned and left the lab. Scourge watched her go, before throwing his head back and laughing.  
  
"Insane? INSANE? Me? HAH! What you call insanity my dear, I call genius!"  
  
As Scourge continued his laughter, outside the lab, Vette looked at Cyclonus.  
  
"This is bad Cyclonus. We should never of left the others."  
  
The purple Decepticon nodded.  
  
"Agreed. Still we have to be careful. With the defection of Triggerhappy to the Autobots, and of our subsequent, abandonment of Galvatron, the two of us had best remain on our guard."  
  
Vette nodded.  
  
"All of the other femmes here agree with you. Heh, even Roadkill."  
  
Cyclonus looked at her.  
  
"Speaking of Roadkill, where is she? I haven't seen her for some time."  
  
Vette sighed.  
  
"Knowing Roadkill, and where we are currently located, I'd say she's out having... 'fun'."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Along a quiet stretch of highway :  
  
Constable Wayne Jefferson sighed as he leaned back in the seat of his patrol car, his partner, Constable Julian Stark, stifled a yawn.  
  
"This is boring. Why do we have to do this?"  
  
Wayne looked at him.  
  
"Look, what time of year is it?"  
  
Julian rolled his eyes.  
  
"I know it's christmas and we have to be on patrol, but come on. This is what the damned booze buses do! We're supposed to out hunting for criminals not testing people's breath!"  
  
Wayne was about to respond, when he heard the sound of a car, screeching, and then an explosion. He looked out his window, and saw a grey and black Trans-AM roaring up the highway, slamming other cars either off the road, or into other cars.  
  
"Oh great! Julian strap yourself in, we've got ourselves a live one!"  
  
No sooner had Julian strapped his seatbelt tight around him, the Trans-AM roared past them, and Wayne had turned the sirens and horn on and roared out after the offender.  
  
The Trans-AM knew how to drive and kept increasing it's speed, but slowing down, just within sight of the two police officers. The police chase vehicle, accelerated, ducking between other passing cars, in a vain attempt to keep up with the offender. Julian grabbed the mike.  
  
"This is car 444, in high speed pursuit with grey and black Trans-AM. No license plate. Already mulitple car crashes. Send emergency vehicles to the intersection of Tonkin Highway and Morley Drive. Request immediate roadblock to be set up."  
  
Wayne hissed as he spun the wheel.  
  
"I have no idea who this clown thinks he is, but when I get my hands on him..."  
  
Julian just nodded, and looked at the approaching roadsign. He almost dropped the mike.  
  
"Wayne... we're heading towards the domestic airport!"  
  
Wayne grabbed the mike.  
  
"Attention! Offender has taken the off ramp and is heading towards the domestic airport. We are still in pursuit. Where is our backup!"  
  
The response was prompt.  
  
"Five units already at terminal with additional backup enroute. Helicopter Sky One available for assistance and is enroute to your exact position."  
  
Julian looked out his window and saw Sky One swoop down out of the clouds. He smiled.  
  
"Looks like our friend in the sky is already here."  
  
Wayne nodded.  
  
"Good. Control, patch me through to Sky One."  
  
Inside the police helicopter, pilot Anthony Montgomery, brought his chopper over car 444.  
  
"This car 444 to Sky One. Tell me what you can see ahead."  
  
Anthony thumbed the mike.  
  
"The road ahead has been cleared. Straight empty stretch all the way to the main force."  
  
Wayne smiled.  
  
"We got him."  
  
Just then, the Trans-AM increased it's speed as the roadblock approached. The car somehow managed to jump over the roadblock and land easily. It continued on it's mad race towards the terminal. Julian, with wide eyes, gasped.  
  
"I don't believe it! It jumped our roadblock. What is that thing, KITT from Knight Rider?"  
  
Wayne blinked twice.  
  
"Dunno. But we've got to stop it, somehow."  
  
The police roadblock dispersed and as car 444 passed by, they joined in the pursuit. Driving around the carpark, the Trans-Am accelerated and drove right through the doors of the terminal, glass going everywhere and people running for their lives.  
  
The police rulled up outside the terminal, and Wayne leaped out of his vehicle, running into the terminal. Julian came up behind him and both officers drew their revolvers as they approached the the Trans-AM.  
  
"Alright! You in the car! Come up with your hands up! NOW!"  
  
The other police officers were clearing out the terminal, or covering Wayne, as he stepped towards the car, and opened the driver's door. He blinked twice and looked inside the car. No one was inside.  
  
"What the hell?"  
  
Julian had walked around to the side of the car, and noticed the purple emblem on the hood.  
  
"Wayne! Come here."  
  
Wayne turned and looked at him.  
  
"Julian, there's no driver!"  
  
Julian thought quickly.  
  
"Oh my god. I know what this emblem is, I've seen it on TV. We've got to get out of here!"  
  
Wayne looked at his partner, curiosity on his face.  
  
"Why? It's just a car."  
  
Before Julian could respond, the car spoke in a metallic female voice.  
  
"I'm not just a car fleshling. What I am, is your destruction!"  
  
Both police officers turned and looked at the car, as it appeared to fall apart. Arms grew from it's sides as it stretched, legs appearing from underneath and to it's read. Wayne and Julian ran out of the terminal, screaming to their fellow officers.  
  
"GET OUT OF HERE! IT'S A TRANSFORMER!!"  
  
The top of the terminal exploded as Roadkill finished her transformation cycle. She smiled as she looked at the humans.  
  
"Pathetic flesh creatures! Can't you see I'm invincible?"  
  
Roadkill drew her wave distortion sword and slashed at one of the airplanes parked nearby. The sword cut through the fuselage, causing the plane to explode in a fireball. As the Decepticon laughed, in Sky One, Anthony screamed over his mike.  
  
"CONTROL, WE'RE GOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE! WE NEED THE ARMY OR AIR FORCE NOW!!"  
  
The call had already been made, and at the RAAF air force base in Pearce, four visiting F-111's, had been refueled, fully loaded and already in the air, heading towards the airport, as fast as their turbines could propel them.  
  
However, Sky One had flown too close, and Roadkil, with her electro scrambler rifle, fired at the helicopter. The circuitry disrupted and power lost, the helicopter fell to the ground, exploding in a fireball. An incoming flight, had landed on the tarmac. The pilot saw what was happening and groaned.  
  
"Not again. We're getting out of here!"  
  
Roadkill turned and saw the plane, a smile crossed her face as she reached out and grasped the jet, lifting it into the air.  
  
"So, you want to fly do you? Well, let me give you a hand!"  
  
Holding the the jet like a spear, she threw it into the sky. She smiled as she saw the wings tear off, from the windshear and the fuselage tumbled through the sky.  
  
"Heh, heh, heh, I love my job!"  
  
She turned and kicked another plane accross the tarmac.  
  
Meanwhile the fuselage was coming out from it's ascent, and falling rapidly to the ground. The passengers screaming in terror and fear, thinking their lives were at an end. However, the plane never hit the ground. The pilot looked through the broken window and saw a blue robot there, holding the plane, this one with a red emblem on it's chest.  
  
"A...Autobots.."  
  
The Autobot lowered the plane to the ground and looked at one of his companions.  
  
"Ratchet, stay here and keep an eye on them, until the humans medical teams arrive. The rest of you, come with me."  
  
Ratchet nodded.  
  
"Good luck Hot Spot. Remember, you and your fellow Protectobots need to be careful, you're new bodies haven't been fully battle tested yet."  
  
Streetwise nodded.  
  
"Don't worry Ratchet. Now we can field test them."  
  
Hot Spot turned.  
  
"Protectobots! Transform and roll out!"  
  
Hot Spot transformed into his blue fire engine form, as the others followed suite. Streetwise into a sports police car, Groove into a police motorcycle, First Aid into an ambulance and Blades into a helicopter. The five Autobots sped towards the airport, as did five objects above them.  
  
Seven jets, four of them blue flying hovercraft type aircraft, flew in formation, each one bearing a Decepticon emblem. Inside the lead purple jet, Vette looked down.  
  
"Seems we have some company Cyclonus. Autobots."  
  
The purple jet's response was in a growl.  
  
"Autobots! We don't need this. If Celestine finds out, she'll send that new contraption she has Scourge working on, out here."  
  
Vette pressed a button and spoke to the Sweeps.  
  
"Sweeps 14, 15, 16 and 17. Descend and destroy the Autobots!"  
  
Sweep 14 responded in a monotone voice.  
  
"Sweep 14 hears, and obeys."  
  
The four Sweeps turned and flew down towards the Protectobots, weapons blazing. Blades snarled as he dodged the incoming fire.  
  
"Dammit Hot Spot! This is ridiculous! I say we take these creeps down, then go after the others!"  
  
Hot Spot's response was instant.  
  
"No, we leave them for the remaining Aerialbots to deal with. We have to get to the airport and take down the Decepticon there."  
  
High above the Sweeps, three Autobot jets banked hard in the sky and dived towards the Sweeps. Fireflight, Skydive and Slingshot flew straight for the Decepticon clones.  
  
"You know, Air Raid would sure miss this!"  
  
Skydive chuckled as he fired his cannons, catching a Sweep unawares, causing it to slam into the ground, exploding.  
  
"Yeah, but he and Silverbolt had to go with Rodimus and the others. Oh well, more fun for the three of us!"  
  
The Aerialbots flew after their targets, just as the Protectobots pulled up to the airport and transformed. Standing in the ruins of the airport, Roadkill faced them, her rifle in one hand and sword in the other.  
  
"Ahh, now this is more like it! I've been wondering when you Autoclowns were going to show. Looks like my little calling card here, worked!"  
  
Hot Spot raised his rifle.  
  
"Cease and desist Decepticon. You're outnumbered and outgunned, don't make this hard on yourself."  
  
Roadkill laughed insanely.  
  
"Surrender to the likes of you? HAH! I don't think so Autobum!"  
  
As she said that, Tempest and Darkshayde dove out of the sky, weapons blazing. Darkshayde's bomb bay opened and Hydrina fell towards the ground, her weapon blasting.  
  
In the air, Vette looked over her shoulder and saw four small shapes fast approaching.  
  
"Looks like we have some company. Human jets."  
  
Cyclonus responded.  
  
"Vette, this is were we part. Get down there with your fellow femmes and keep those Autobots busy. I'll take care of these fleshlings."  
  
Vette nodded and as Cyclonus banked hard to the left, she leaped from the cockpit, falling towards the Protectobot called First Aid. She tackled him hard, sending the reborn medic, into the ground face first.  
  
"Hello Autobot! Enjoy your nap!"  
  
In the sky, Cyclonus flew straight towards the F111's, Nightstick in his gun mode locked onto the lead fighter.  
  
"I'm ready Cyclonus!"  
  
"Fire!"  
  
The beam of energy fired from Nightstick, tore through the cockpit and out the back of the jet. The jet exploded in mid air, and before the other fighters could get their bearing, Cyclonus had destroyed another. The two remaining fighters split off, one heading towards the airport, the other towards the Decepticon. Cyclonus transformed into robot mode and crushed the cockpit instantly. He threw the fighter's remains onto the ground, smiling as the figher slammed into a bus, both vehicles exploding and damaging other vehicles around them. The flames and smoke drifted up into the air and Cyclonus revelled in the feeling.  
  
"THIS is what it means to be a Decepticon!"  
  
Nightstick chuckled.  
  
"Seems I made the right choice to bond with you Cyclonus. Now howabout we head back to where Vette and the others are? I want to destroy me an Autobot!"  
  
Cyclonus smiled.  
  
"Nightstick, for a fleshling, you remind me a lot of me."  
  
The purple Decepticon flew back towards the Airport, where the Decepticon femmes were fighting the Protectobots.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Back in Scourge's lab :  
  
"Is he finished Scourge?"  
  
Scourge looked at his leader and grinned evilly.  
  
"Of course he is. He's fully charged and ready to go."  
  
Celestine smiled.  
  
"Excellent Scourge. Continue to serve me well, and you'll be suitably rewarded." she looked at the dark robot, and smiled "No longer do I need Outlaw, when I now have a mech, whose heart is as dark as mine. Wake him and let's take him with us. We need to test him."  
  
Scourge nodded.  
  
"By your command."  
  
Celestine looked at the robot as it's optics glowed red.  
  
"Heh, heh, heh, come dark one. It is time for you to have some fun."  
  
The dark Decepticon looked at her.  
  
".....Fun...."  
  
Celestine's smile grew.  
  
"Yes, fun."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Back at the airport :  
  
Slingshot ducked behind the ruin airplane hanger and fired his blaster at the hovercraft. The hovercraft transformed and levelled her sonic disruptor rifle at him.  
  
"Sorry Autobot, but you're going to have to die now. Don't take this personnally."  
  
Slingshot's optics grew wide as the cannon fired. He only just managed to leap into the air, transforming and soaring skywards.  
  
"Don't take this personnally? Oh, no. I won't take you trying to kill me personnally! Why would I ever do a stupid thing like that!"  
  
Groove had checked on First Aid, as Streetwise and Vette fought.  
  
"First Aid? How do you feel?"  
  
The medic groaned.  
  
"How do you think I feel? I got crushed when Bruticus stepped on me, and now I've had my face smashed into the road." he shook his head "I need a change in my job discription."  
  
Groove chuckled and was about to respond, when he heard the sound of an approaching jet. Both he and the medic looked up and saw the last human jet, fly straight towards the Deceptcions. Groove hissed.  
  
"What is that pilot thinking?"  
  
The F111, locked all of it's remaining ordinance onto the grey and black Decepticon, and launched it. The weaponry, enough to level a skyscraper, did nothing to the evil Decepticon, who laughed.  
  
"Stupid! STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!"  
  
She smiled as she saw a F117 Nighthawk appear behind the jet, transform and tear it to pieces. The jet transformed into the femme called Darkshayde, who landed next to Roadkill.  
  
"Now this is fun Roadie. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself."  
  
Before Roadkill could respond, Hot Spot spoke.  
  
"Enough! Decepticons, it is time you faced..."  
  
With that Hot Spot began his second transformation, into the torso and head of a gestalt. Blades and Streetwise transformed into right and left arms respectively. First Aid and Groove transformed into the Left and Right legs. All five body parts merged together to form Defensor. The Decepticon femmes looked up at the gestalt, and backed away slowly. However, Vette smiled as she saw Cyclonus, who had transformed back into his jet mode and was flying straight at the gestalt. She raised her weapon.  
  
"Decepticons! FIRE!"  
  
The five femmes opened fire with their weapons on Defensor, as did Cyclonus. However, Defensor had managed to raise his barrier shield around himself and the humans still there. Cyclonus circled above the scene.  
  
"Decepticons, retreat!"  
  
Roadkill snarled.  
  
"Retreat? Now? We can destroy these Autobots and be done with them!"  
  
Vette grabbed the grey and black femme by the shoulder.  
  
"Cyclonus is our superior. He says we go, we go."  
  
Roadkill grumbled, as she leaped into the air. The other femmes did as well and flew away from the destroyed airport.  
  
Defensor watched them go, and then seperated into his individual Autobots. Ratchet came rolling up and transformed. He whistled as he saw the damage.  
  
"Whew, this place is a mess. Reminds me of the time Wheeljack and myself created the Dinobots and whatthey did aboard the Ark." He paused "Dinobots... That gives me an idea."  
  
Hot Spot looked at one of the humans.  
  
"I'm sorry for not getting here in time to deal with the Decepticons. We shall assist in your search for survivors."  
  
The human, Wayne Jefferson nodded.  
  
"Thanks. Any help you can offer, would greatly be appreciated."  
  
Fireflight looked at his fellow Aerialbots, Skydive and Slingshot.  
  
"We'll leave the Protectobots and Ratchet to sort this out. We'll go after those Decepticons instead."  
  
Slingshot nodded.  
  
"Good idea. As it is, we're faster than those Decepti-bozos. We'll fly rings around them!"  
  
Skydive frowned.  
  
"I think we should keep our distance though." he looked into the sky "Come on, or we'll loose them!"  
  
The three Autobots transformed and flew after Cyclonus and the femmes with him. Ratchet watched them go, and faced Hot Spot.  
  
"They'll be alright. They've had recent upgrades to all of their systems, in particular their engines and defense systems."  
  
Hot Spot sighed.  
  
"Still, we could've used their help here. Doesn't matter now anyways."  
  
The blue Autobot turned and lifted up a piece of broken masonry away. Ratchet sighed and assisted the others. As the Protectobots and Ratchet helped search, on the nearby island of Rottnest, located offshore from the port of Fremantle, three Decepticons were destroying the island. Scourge and Celestine watched as the new addition to their force blasted the ferries and buildings on the isle.  
  
"Scourge, I'm impressed. Very impressed."  
  
Scourge smiled.  
  
"I thought you would be. He is the most powerful Decepticon ever. He could even give Galvatron a hard time, and still win!"  
  
Celestine smiled as the dark Decepticon lifted one of the ferries out of the water and threw it at the lighthouse on the isle. The ferry exploded and the blast took a chunk out of the isle. It was then, Celestine saw Cyclonus and the femmes dive towards the isle and land. She looked at Cyclonus coldly.  
  
"And what do you think you're doing here Cyclonus?"  
  
Cyclonus looked at her.  
  
"Just having a little flight. No harm in that, is there?"  
  
Before Celestine could respond, Tempest saw something and spoke.  
  
"We're being followed. Three Autobots."  
  
Celestine smiled.  
  
"More guinea pigs for my new warrior." she looked at the tall, dark Decepticon "Darkheart, head to the mainland and have fun."  
  
The newly named Darkheart nodded and leaped into the air, flying towards the port of Fremantle. The three Autobots saw the Decepticon, and Skydive nearly fell from the sky.  
  
"Look at how big that guy is! He's huge!"  
  
Slingshot chuckled.  
  
"You know that old earth saying, 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall'. We'll blast him out of the sky!"  
  
Firefight had calculated the Decepticon's landing point and engaged his afterbuners. The other two, startled by his burst of speed, did the same. Celestine smiled as she saw the three Autobots swoop after Darkheart.  
  
"Decepticons, let's follow and enjoy the upcoming show."  
  
Celestine and the Decepticons with her, leaped into the air and flew after Darkheart and the Autobots, at a slow pace.  
  
In Fremantle, one of the biggest attractions there, the E-Shed markets, was open for business. The people used to seeing the outlandish and extraordinary. However, they weren't prepared for Darkheart. The dark Decepticon landed on the market building, destroying it completely. He turned and faced the incoming Autobots. He looked at his weapons, and then prepared himself. He'd destroy these Autobots with his hands, not weapons.  
  
Firefight flew straight at the Decepticon, his weapons firing. The missiles and cannonfire exploded all around Darkheart, but he didn't move. He stood his ground and waited. Firefight kept to his course, but at the last moment, veered to the left. Darkheart made his move and grabbed Firefight from the sky. He turned and hurled the Aerialbot at his two comrades, who veered away. Firefight managed to transform just before he spashed into the ocean.  
  
"Damn, this guy is tough."  
  
Celestine spoke from behind him.  
  
"Tougher than you Autobot."  
  
Firefight turned and was blasted by the combined firepower of Celestine, Scourge and Cyclonus. The Autobot was flung into numerous cargo ships and crashed into the docks. He tried to move, but his systems lost power. He slumped where he lay, and didn't move.  
  
Skydive and Slingshot transformed and landed nearby. Skydive swallowed as he saw the Decepticon approach them.  
  
"I'm contacting Hot Spot and the others. We're gonna need help."  
  
Before Slingshot could respond, Darkheart had grabbed him by the throat, lifted him in the air and chokeslammed him into the ground. The dark Decepticon then stomped on the Aerialbot's back, twice. Slingshot didn't move afterwards.  
  
Skydive backed away slowly. His sensors told him more Decepticons were in the area, but Hot Spot and the others were fast approaching. However, he didn't think he was still going to be standing, much less functioning when they arrive.  
  
Darkheart looked at Skydive, evil intent glowing in his red optics.  
  
"You... Die..."  
  
Skydive swallowed.  
  
"I should've just stayed in my recharge bed today, and not gotten up!"  
  
As Darkheart lunged, Skydive leaped to the side. The Autobot watched as the Decepticon crashed into one of the many warehouses, lining the docks. Skydive saw the humans scurrying away, and knew he had to take this fight somewhere less cluttered. He transformed and flew into the air, taunting Darkheart.  
  
"Come on tall, dark and gruseome! Catch me if you can!"  
  
Darkheart growled as he stood and watched the Autobot.  
  
"I.... You.... DESTROY!!!"  
  
Darkheart transformed into his vehicle mode, a truck trailer eerily reminescent of the triplechanger, Octane's vehicle form, and roared after Skydive. The dark truck smashed into human vehicles, and drove through buildings, in his attempt to catch the Autobot. Celestine smiled as she watched this, pleased with what she was seeing. Scourge on the otherhand, was beside himself with glee. Cyclonus and the femmes looked at each other, worry on their faces.  
  
"My Decepticons, transform and follow!"  
  
Celestine transformed into jet mode and flew after Darkheart, Scourge and the other jets following suit. Cyclonus and Vette looked at each other, then he transformed into jet mode, Vette inside the cockpit.  
  
"This is getting dangerous Cyclonus, real dangerous."  
  
Cyclonus's response echoed her own.  
  
"I know Vette. However, there is nothing we can do. All we do now, is watch, wait and survive."  
  
"And then?"  
  
His next response made Vette think.  
  
"We rejoin Galvatron."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Elsewhere :  
  
Hot Spot, his Protectobots and Ratchet were waiting near the shopping centre in the suburb of Booragoon. The entire suburb and surrounding areas had been evacuated, police maintaining roadblocks around the whole area. Ratchet looked at Hot Spot.  
  
"Hot Spot, according to what Skydive told us, Slingshot and Firefight need urgent medical attention. We should get out to where they are."  
  
Hot Spot shook his head.  
  
"Negative Ratchet. If we move from our present location, then Skydive is a goner and so are the humans here." he looked at Ratchet "Do you have any idea of how many humans lost their lives at the airport?"  
  
Ratchet nodded slowly. From what his own sensors had detected, over five thousand died at the airport, most of them when Roadkill transformed within the terminal itself and when she destroyed numerous planes. He hoped, that the report from Skydive, about the amount of damage in the port, wasn't as bad as it sounded.  
  
Groove walked up to the two.  
  
"Just got a communication burst from Mirage. Siren, Nightbeat, Hosehead, Landfill, Scoop and Quickmix are enroute with himself and Skids. They should be here within eight earth minutes."  
  
Hot Spot nodded.  
  
"Good. Hopefully they should be enough to stop this Decepticon Skydive was talking about."  
  
In his helicopter form, hovering above the shopping complex, Blades called to them.  
  
"Guys, I can see Skydive now and..." Blades started to move forward "He's been hit! I'm going out to help!"  
  
Hot Spot shouted.  
  
"NEGATIVE BLADES! RETURN TO YOUR ASSIGNED POSITION!"  
  
Blades stopped, shaking with anger.  
  
"But Hot Spot....!"  
  
Ratchet pointed.  
  
"Look!"  
  
Skydive took numerous hits to his underbelly and fell towards his fellow Autobots, transforming into robot mode. Streetwise leaped into the air and caught the Aerialbot before he hit the ground.  
  
"I got ya buddy!"  
  
As the two landed, Skydive looked at his friend, pain in his optics.  
  
"Th...thanks.... Stree...ise..."  
  
Streetwise looked over at Hot Spot.  
  
"He's pretty bad."  
  
First Aid looked at Hot Spot.  
  
"Perhaps Defensor should be formed, with his barrier..."  
  
Groove cried out.  
  
"TOO LATE!!"  
  
Darkheart slammed through a group of houses and collided with Groove, sending the Protectobot flying into Blades, both Protectobots crashing into a nearby house, crushing it completely.  
  
The truck stopped and transformed into robot form. He turned his optics onto the Autobots gathered in front of him. Ratchet looked and saw a group of Decepticons, hovering in the air about a mile away.  
  
"This does not bode well." he turned and leaped away, as Streetwise was hurled right at him. The medic gasped as he crept to his knees "This Decepticon is way too much for us to handle. If only the Dinobots were here."  
  
Darkheart and Hot Spot were grappling each other. The Decepticon glaring death at Hot Spot. The Autobot glaring angrily at Darkheart.  
  
"You.... will... die.... Autobot..."  
  
Hot Spot grimaced.  
  
"If so, I'll take you with me!"  
  
First Aid had managed to conduct field repairs onto Skydive, with Ratchet's assistance. The Aerialbot stood, shakily.  
  
"My thanks. I'm going to take that Decepticon apart!"  
  
He charged into Darkheart from behind, and was rewarded with a backhand hit accross the face, breaking his lower jaw from his mouth. Hot Spot grasped the Decepticon around the throat and squeezed.  
  
"Damn you Decepticon! No more! No more will be hurt or die by your hands!"  
  
Darkheart pried Hot Spot's hands away from his throat and smashed his head into Hot Spot's face. The Protectobot leader staggered away, as Darkheart watched him, evil glowing in his optics. He was about to attack Hot Spot, when a blast of cannon fire collided with him, sending him reeling.  
  
Celestine snarled.  
  
"An Autobot shuttle! The only way they can attack is with that! COWARDS!"  
  
Scourge shrugged.  
  
"So? It will matter not. Darkheart will easily destroy the shuttle and..."  
  
Cyclonus interrupted his friend.  
  
"Celestine, I think you have tested our 'friend' enough for today. The more exposure he has, the more likely the Autobots will find a way to defeat him."  
  
Vette added.  
  
"And if your new warrior was to be defeated, what will happen when Galvatron arrives?"  
  
Celestine nodded.  
  
"I suppose you're right." she looked at Scourge "Issue the retreat."  
  
Scourge bowed.  
  
"Of course." he pressed a button on his wrist "Darkheart, time to retreat."  
  
As the shuttle landed, and the Autobots aboard exited, Darkheart growled.  
  
"Affirmative."  
  
Darkheart leaped into the air and followed the other Decepticons as they retreated. Mirage walked towards Hot Spot and Ratchet.  
  
"It would appear we got here just in time."  
  
Ratchet nodded.  
  
"Mirage, we need help. Slingshot and Firefight are at the port, and are in critical condition. Streetwise and Groove need repairs as does Blades."  
  
Mirage looked at the wrecked house and area.  
  
"Man, this is bad. Who was that Decepticon?"  
  
Hot Spot stood on his feet.  
  
"Trouble Mirage. He is trouble and evil incarnate." he looked at Ratchet and Mirage "We need to alert Rodimus and have him return with troops immediately. That Decepticon is dangerous and I suspect so is his leader."  
  
Ratchet sighed.  
  
"It's times like these, I wish we were never reactivated, when the Ark crashed here, so long ago."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - This is going to be the last update for awhile, at least until after New Years. I've got other works I've delayed because I've been concentrating more on this story as well as my three Dynasty Warriors stories. This chapter was to introduce the Decepticon femmes in more detail, as well as a new Decepticon warrior of Celestine's, who was created by a faithful reviewer.  
  
****NOTICE : DARKHEART belongs to Tariq. Darkheart's vehicle form is that of Scourge from Transformers : Robots in Disguise. Darkheart is being used in this story, with Tariq's permission.****  
  
Also, I set this part in my locality. Yes, I live in Perth (Well eight kilometers away from Perth.) and I wanted to add something 'personal' into this story. I don't know why, but this chapter feels like it has a more darker feel to it, because of what happened in it. Anywayz, please let me know what you think. R&R please. 


	22. Chapter 21

Transformers : Book 3 :  
The Devil's Gambit  
  
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Death's Head - I do not own Transformers. Takara, Marvel, Marvel UK, Sunbow Entertainment, DW Comics and all the rest own them. I only own a couple of the figures. Also, I do not own the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Death's Head. Marvel UK does.  
  
The following are my own creations. I made them, they're mine. If you'd like to use them in one of your stories, just send me an email asking for permission to use them, as I'll most likely say you can. I just want to know which story they're going to be placed in.  
  
The New Autobots I created : Outlaw, Valkyrie and Seraphim. The New Decepticons I created : Alpha Destroyer, Acousia, Tremble, Carnage, Blaze, Thraka, Tempest, Darkshayde, Hydrina, Vette and Roadkill.  
  
** ** - Indicates the character's thought.  
  
***********************************************  
  
In a certain lab on Cybertron :  
  
Outlaw grimaced as the welding arcs finishing their work, and his new trailer was complete. With a communications burst, on a subspace frequency known only to him, the trailer disappeared into a subspace pocket, somewhere just behind Outlaw all the time. He just hoped he'd never have to utilise the trailer's special functions.  
  
Death's Head, Seraphim, Kari, Jetfire, Grimlock and the other Dinobots were all standing at the back of the room, watching the dark Autobot. Slag growled softly.  
  
"This pointless. Me Slag say we find Decepticons and smash!"  
  
Sludge nodded slowly.  
  
"Me Sludge agree, but up to leader to decide."  
  
The two Dinobots looked at Grimlock, who was unnaturally quiet. Seraphim and Kari wore dark looks on their faces and even the peacekeeping agent, Death's Head, was annoyed.  
  
"Outlaw, what are we doing here? I do have other business to take care of, yes?"  
  
Outlaw looked at his old friend and nodded.  
  
"I understand DH. And, I have a little job for you. That shipment of Nucleon which was 'destroyed', the Autobots need more."  
  
Death's Head's optics narrowed.  
  
"What am I supposed to be now? A glorified courier?"  
  
Outlaw shook his head.  
  
"No. The Autobot bounty hunter, Def-Con, has been given that job. I'd like for you to check out Charr and find out what's happening there. Then, find out where Celestine, Galvatron and Megatron are, and what they're doing."  
  
Death's Head nodded slowly.  
  
"Doable, but costly. 30,000."  
  
Grimlock spoke slowly, carefully.  
  
"15,000 and 10% of Nucleon from Def-Con's shipment."  
  
Death's Head pondered for a moment.  
  
"Agreed. Do the 'leaders' now about this arrangement?"  
  
Outlaw shrugged.  
  
"No. But I've paid Def-Con to keep aside 30% of the Nucleon, for our needs here."  
  
Death's Head then nodded.  
  
"Fine by me. I'll contact you, when I have any information."  
  
With that said, Death's Head turned and left the lab. Jetfire looked at Outlaw.  
  
"Ok Outlaw, what's the plan?"  
  
Outlaw looked at Seraphim and nodded. She sighed and spoke.  
  
"We return to Earth, assist in the repairs, while you and Outlaw conduct a planetwide search for any Cybertronian artefacts, located on Earth."  
  
Jetfire looked at her.  
  
"Cybertronian artefacts? Like what? We Autobots have tracked down everything to do with our kind on that planet and have it all catalogued in the archives within Autobot City."  
  
Outlaw shook his head.  
  
"Maybe, but when I was Raiden, just before I lead the attack against Autobot City, I detected anomalous readings in certain areas of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere of the planet. They appear to be Cybertronian in design, but match nothing we have ever detected before."  
  
Swoop stepped forward.  
  
"Me Swoop, remember on ice island, south on planet. Dinosaurs live, certain area. Maybe what you look for there?"  
  
Outlaw nodded.  
  
"Maybe. In that case, Swoop, you're with Jetfire and myself. Grimlock, I would like you and your Dinobot comrades to stay with Seraphim at Autobot City."  
  
Grimlock's optics glowed.  
  
"I would've done so, even if you not tell me to."  
  
Outlaw smirked, and pressed a button on a nearby console. An unknown Autobot's voice came over the speaker.  
  
"Autobot spaceport control."  
  
"I don't believe my audio receptors. Rack N Ruin? Where has Xaaron been hiding you!"  
  
A chuckle echoed back.  
  
"You know us Outlaw. We tend to merge with the background."  
  
"Heh, and where's Roadbuster?"  
  
"He's around, checking out that old TJR transport you brought in. Repairs have been completed to it's engine and to it's hull."  
  
Outlaw smiled and glanced at the others.  
  
"How long until it's clear for departure?"  
  
Rack N Ruin's voice chuckled.  
  
"I can have it fully prepped for you in three cycles."  
  
"Good work. What's your current status?"  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"I want you and Roadbuster to accompany me and my team to Earth."  
  
A pause.  
  
"We're sure we can work something out. Besides, we've been monitoring the channels all day, as well as conducting the transports to Earth. Autobot City is in a real bad shape, so much so, that command has been temporarily reassigned to the Ark. Just hope the Decepticons don't get wind of this and launch another attack."  
  
Outlaw sighed.  
  
"Let's just pray for some miracles then Rack N Ruin. My team will be at the spaceport in two cycles, also have the 'VULTURE' prepped and ready for departure as well."  
  
"Already have. Even given her a full load of nucleonic warheads. So no one will want to mess with her, or her captain."  
  
Death's Head looked at Outlaw.  
  
"Nucleonic warheads? Aren't they still experimental?"  
  
Outlaw shook his head.  
  
"That's just what Autobot scientists and command want everyone to know. Suffice to say, we've had this technology since before I left Cybertron with you, all those years ago DH." Outlaw faced the others "Besides, I have a feeling, that we're experiencing, this lull, is being shadowed by something else. We are going to need to be prepared."  
  
Seraphim raised her head.  
  
"And what about Valkyrie? What do we do about her?"  
  
Outlaw looked at his sister.  
  
"Leave Valkyrie to me. I can bring her back."  
  
Grimlock spoke.  
  
"What if you can't?"  
  
Outlaw hefted one of his twin barrelled rifles.  
  
"Then I will deal with her. I swore to look out for her, and if I can't bring her back."  
  
Death's Head looked at his young friend.  
  
"Destroy her and yourself. That is what you're planning Outlaw, yes?"  
  
Outlaw nodded.  
  
"We were created at the same time, I even have some of her programming within me. If she dies, then so do I."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Death's Head - Sorry about the lateness of an update ppl. Been busy lately and as such I've gotten WAAAAAYYYY behind in my stories. Anywayz, I bet some of you may remember the Autobots Roadbuster and Rack N Ruin, from the Marvel UK Transformer comic line. Yeah, I'm bringing in more Autobots and Decepticons from both Marvel UK and Marvel US, as well as from the toyline (Found some scans of old Transformer catalogues, and the transformers mentioned in them I haven't seen in any fanfics so I'm bringing them in.).  
  
I hope you like this update, and I'll be updating this within the next few weeks. R&R please. 


	23. Chapter 22

_**TRANSFORMERS – BOOK THREE –****THE DEVIL'S GAMBIT**_

**--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
_Death's Head -_** Usual disclaimer thingy time. I do not own Transformers. That honour belongs to Takara Industries, Marvel Entertainment, Hasbro and anyone else associated with the Transformers logo, likeness and such.  
  
However, I do own a few characters which appear in this story (as well as the two prequels to this story.). They are mine as I created them, they were spawned from the depths of my dark, twisted and somewhat insane imagination. If you want to use them in your stories, please send me an email asking.  
  
Also, please, please, PLEASE, read my first two Transformers Generation One stories (Transformers : Book One : Death's Head and Transformers : Book Two : Megatron's Revenge), as they have all the basic groundwork laid down which is carried over into this story. If you could leave a review of those two stories as well, it'd be greatly and gratefully appreciated.

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**_On Earth :_**  
  
In America, specifically Washington DC, the day was just like any normal day. A construction site had just received six new vehicles to help with the building of a new skyscraper. At a nearby air field, six new fighter jets had landed and were being ferried into spare hangar bays. At the Pentagon, while officials were busy gathering information for the President, in regards to the Decepticon attacks in Australia, the Secret Service had some new recruits who had just been issued their sidearms and assigned to sentry duty in the White House. The President had ordered contact to be established with the Autobots. However, even though numerous messages had been sent to Autobot City, located in the mountainous region of Oregon, there had been no replies from the Autobots.  
  
Unfortunately, that was the good news. Inside the President's office, he had just been told of three large objects, undoubtedly of Transformer origin, entering the planet's atmosphere. One heading towards South America, another heading towards Thailand and the other...  
  
NASA, as well as the SETI installations across the country, had been tracking one of them, but it disappeared somewhere in the Midwest. Local authorities had been given warnings and told to be on the look out for anything out of the ordinary, as numerous military bases were brought to standby alert.  
  
Outside the White House, a blue cassette deck had been left against the wall. However, whenever someone tried to pick it up, it emitted a sonic frequency, causing the person to back off quickly. Along the nearby street, three sports cars and a semi trailer parked to a stop, as if they were waiting for a signal. A signal which was soon to arrive.  
  
One of the sports cars, spoke on a certain frequency to the nearby semi.  
  
"Come on Motormaster, let's rumble!"  
  
The semi sighed. Wildrider was always the most impatient member of the Stunticons. Breakdown, Drag Strip and Dead End only put up with his impatience for the simple reason he was needed to form the gestalt, Menasor. Even Motormaster found himself wishing for the opportunity to blast Wildrider. Unfortunately, Wildrider did have his moments which he brought his own... 'style' to an operation. That was why Megatron wanted the Stunticons nearby.  
  
"We wait for the signal from Soundwave. We do nothing until then."  
  
Wildrider muttered softly.  
  
"Damn... I can't wait around forever..."  
  
Before Motormaster could respond, he noticed the airline tanker form of the Triplechanger, Octane pull up across the street. He knew that at the train station, Astrotrain was in position. Somewhere overhead, utilising it's cloaking device, was the Nemesis II. Before they had left the fight against the Autobots near the former Decepticon mausoleum shuttle, Scorpononk had started to work on building another ship. However, it wasn't until the Decepticons reached the dark side of the moon, when the Nemesis II was complete. With Galvatron taking command of Scorpononk, Megatron took the new ship and was impressed with the new technology. Technology which was going to hand the Earth to the Decepticons. Inside, were all the other Decepticons under Megatron's command. Megatron himself, Motomaster had no idea where he was. All the Stunticon leader knew, was that Megatron had decided to work alongside Galvatron for some reason or the other.  
  
Galvatron, was somewhere else on the planet, no doubt about to cause more trouble, Motormaster thought to himself. Motormaster was about to respond to Wildrider comments, he received a communiqué from Soundwave.  
  
"Go ahead Soundwave."  
  
Soundwave paused.  
  
"Motormaster, have your team ready to proceed with the plan."  
  
Motormaster's response was curt.  
  
"We're ready to go Soundwave. Just give us the word."  
  
Soundwave chuckled as he transformed, in front of the White House and ejected the army within him. Buzzsaw, Ratbat, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy, Overkill, Slugfest, Sqwarktalk, Beastbox and Slugfest, transformed from their cassette forms and proceeded to attack not just the White House, but any vehicle and fleshling around. Soundwave turned and fired upon a nearby police car, causing the police officers and civilians to scramble for their lives. As the car exploded, Soundwave smiled behind his facemask, as he spoke into the comm. device.  
  
"Motormaster... the word... is given."  
  
Motormaster smiled.  
  
"STUNTICONS! TRANSFORM AND ATTACK!!"  
  
Breakdown, Wildrider and Dead-End transformed into robot mode, as the rear doors of Motormaster's trailer opened and Dragstrip rolled out, transforming. Afterwards, Motormaster transformed himself and fired his cannon into a nearby building, smiling as the building collapsed.  
  
At the airfield, the six jets burst out from the hangar bays they were in, transforming into the Decepticon Seekers – Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet. The six deadly Decepticons started to open fire around the airfield, razing the place to the ground.  
  
At the construction site, where a skyscraper was in the process of being built, the six new vehicles, transformed into the Constructicons, who merged into the Devastator. The powerful Decepticon destroyed the foundation of the skyscraper, before levelling it's blaster cannon and reducing the nearby buildings into rubble.  
  
Soundwave's cassettes had entered the White House and were doing their job well. The flying cassettes terrorised numerous tourists and office workers, as did the other animal cassettes. Rumble and Frenzy activated their piledrivers, cracking the ground around the building. Inside, Secret Service agents gathered the First family and led them away from the marauding robots. Unfortunately, they only managed to get outside when a husky, metallic voice spoke.  
  
"You fleshlings really think you're so superior... and yet, when faced against those who ARE your superiors..."  
  
Two of the new agents cried out as their sidearms flew from their holsters and then transformed into two of the most deadly and dangerous Decepticons ever – the cold and logical Shockwave and the evil and maniacal Megatron.  
  
Megatron smirked.  
  
"You flesh creatures scurry about like the insignifcant creatures you are. In preparation to be trode into the ground!"  
  
The President tried to stand in front of his family, the secret service agents surrounding them. The President glared at the two robots.  
  
"What is the purpose of this attack? Do you know who I am? I'm the President of the United States!"  
  
Megatron looked at Shockwave, a look of shock on his face.  
  
"Do you think we're in trouble now Shockwave? The President of the United States is before us. Why, my internal sensors are about to short out."  
  
Shockwave chuckled to himself, as Megatron smirked as he reached down and plucked the most powerful man in America off the ground and brought him level with his optics.  
  
"Do you know what YOU are to me? A miserable flesh creature who deserves nothing but death."  
  
The President paled considerably as Megatron shook his hand, causing the man to cry out.  
  
"Y... You can... kill me, but that... won't change a thing!"  
  
Megatron smiled.  
  
"I could easily destroy you, and as a matter of fact I may still do so." He paused "However, I want you to die knowing one thing. Your country will be destroyed and it's people made into slaves, as punishment for aiding our enemies. And you only have yourselves to blame for it."  
  
Shockwave added.  
  
"If you creatures had accepted your fate and joined us, this could have been avoided. However, you decided to join the Autobots. You sealed your own fate."  
  
Megatron nodded.  
  
"So true Shockwave, so true. And now Mr. President, it is time for you to die."  
  
Megatron, in an act of true terror, threw the President into the air and fired his fusion cannon. The blast of fusion energy was more than adequate in destroying the frail human. As the screams of outrage and fear came from the small group of humans, he noticed a nearby TV News van, his own sensors telling him that the whole scene had been broadcast live to all the people watching around the country. He smiled and pointed at the van.  
  
"Soundwave, jam that transmission!"  
  
Soundwave issued the command to Ravage and Overkill. The black panther and brown dinosaur tore the van apart, and the last images sent to viewers, were that of Ravage killing the human crew and Overkill stomped on the camera, destroying the feed immediately.  
  
A NATO airbase, tried to send support as did the other military bases. Unfortunately, the Decepticon Micromasters destroyed the NATO airbase, as the Predacons and Seacons destroyed the other bases. Soundwave approached Megatron, his cassettes with him.  
  
"Mighty Megatron, the Terran city of Washington, is now under Decepticon control."  
  
Megatron smiled.  
  
"Good. Have all the flesh creatures herded into one group."  
  
Starscream, who had just landed, glanced at Megatron.  
  
"And what then, Mighty Megatron?"  
  
Megatron faced the black and gold Seeker, a sinister smile on his face.  
  
"Simple Starscream. Destroy them."  
  
Starscream smiled as he glanced at the other Seekers.  
  
"Consider it done, Megatron."  
  
Megatron looked at Shockwave.  
  
"Have the Stunticons and Seacons gather enough construction material, for the Constructicons to begin building the citadel."  
  
Shockwave nodded.  
  
"As you command Mighty Megatron."  
  
Megatron faced Soundwave.  
  
"Soundwave, contact Galvatron and inform him of our success."  
  
Soundwave nodded and went about his task, as Megatron turned and stamped on the White House, destroying it. The evil Decepticon smiled as he surveyed the ruins of the American capital. The statue of Abraham Lincoln had been demolished by the Predacons, as had the other statues of great Americans. The Nemesis II decloaked above Megatron, and more Decepticons flew out of the ship. Megatron knew that whatever Autobots were left in Autobot City would come to try and stop whatever plan he has, and he welcomed the chance. It had been too long since he reminded not just the Autobots, but every other creature in the universe, just why he was called 'The Slagmaker'.  
  
**_In South America :_**  
  
The Horrorcons ran rampant through the small country of Peru, causing death and destruction on a scale, the likes of which has never been seen before. The Headmasters, Targetmasters and Powermasters attacked numerous cities on the continent, those cities burning in the wake of the Decepticons. Near Rio De Janeiro, Galvatron stood watching the city, his optics gleaming malevontly  
  
His comm. device chirped and he pressed the button to activate it.  
  
"Galvatron."  
  
The response was quick.  
  
"Mighty Galvatron, I have arrived in the area designated with the Decepticons from Charr. What are your orders?"  
  
Galvatron smiled as he aimed his particle cannon at one of the hotels lining the beach.  
  
"What do you think Thunderwing? Attack and destroy all fleshlings!"  
  
Thunderwing's response had an evil tone to it.  
  
"Of course Mighty Galvatron. Carnivac and Snarler have already started the mayhem, with Flywheels and Battletrap. The others are eager to begin."  
  
Galvatron fired his cannon, the beam of energy slamming into the hotel, destroying it completely.  
  
"THEN BEGIN THUNDERWING!"  
  
The only response over the comm. was that of laughter as the Pretender, Thunderwing, led the forces with him against in a orgy of destruction. Galvatron smirked and transformed into his cannon form and fired repeatedly, each blast causing damage. Within mere seconds, the city was ablaze as flames tore through the buildings, fleshlings dying as the human emergency vehicles tried to assist the wounded and dying.  
  
Galvatron transformed back into robot form, an insidious smile on his face as he observed the smouldering remains of the city of Rio De Janeiro. It was then he noticed a statue on a hill, overlooking the city. As he strode towards the statue, he noticed a group of humans near the statue calling on someone to 'deliver them from the evil of the Devil.'. The evil Decepticon smirked, as he observed a human male, wearing the robes of a religious sort, standing at the head of the group calling on their 'saviour'.  
  
Galvatron snorted as he looked at the statue, a look of evil contempt on his face.  
  
"So, this is the saviour of the miserable flesh creatures, infesting this planet eh?" Galvatron raised his arms in a mocking mimicry of the statue "HAH! What I want to know is, who's going to save the saviour?"  
  
The humans backed away in terror, the preacher wearing a look of terror, as they watched as Galvatron destroyed the statue with his bare hands. Rubble fell onto the crowd, and as the humans scattered, the preacher looked at the Decepticon.  
  
"Servant of the Devil! The Lord shall smite thee!"  
  
Galvatron looked at the human.  
  
"Really? In that case I shall do to your 'Lord', what I'm about to do to you!"  
  
The preacher's eyes went wide, as he raised his arms in a vain attempt to block the foot of Galvatron as he stepped on the human, grinding the human into the ground. The Decepticon chuckled as his communications expert, Acousia, landed next to him.  
  
"Mighty Galvatron, I have received a communiqué from Soundwave. Megatron and his group have successfully destroyed the American capital."  
  
Galvatron looked at her, smiling.  
  
"Good... good... And what of the Autobots?"  
  
Acousia laughed.  
  
"Hiding within their broken city." She raised her arm as a small robotic dragon landed on her arm, and gave a short roar "Report Blaze."  
  
The green dragon flexed his wings and gave his mistress and commander a cunning smile.  
  
"Autobot City is severely undermanned. Judging from my technical downloads, under thirty Autobots are there, with only a dozen at operating capability. The other Autobots left the city prior to the battle at the mausoleum shuttle, and haven't reported back yet." He smiled a toothy grin "Even better, I found some information in regards to a new weapon, that imbecilic scraplet Brainstorm, has created."  
  
Galvatron studied the dragon.  
  
"What sort of weapon?"  
  
Blaze shrugged.  
  
"It's a projectile weapon, utilising magnetic fields. A rail cannon."  
  
Galvatron and Acousia looked at each other, evil thoughts in their optics. However, lying in the shadows of the dark forest, the Decepticon known as Ravage was listening and had recorded every word. He turned and slinked off into the jungle.  
  
"So, a rail cannon. With that weapon, Megatron can be rid of you Galvatron, and retake his place as supreme commander of the Decepticons." His optics narrowed slightly "All those who refuse to follow Megatron, shall be destroyed!"  
  
The black panther disappeared into the jungle, running fast. He approached a nearby train track, where a purple locamotive was waiting. As Ravage approached, the rear hatch of the train opened and the black and purple Seeker known as Skywarp watched Ravage board the train.  
  
"How did it go Ravage?"  
  
Ravage looked at the Seeker, smiling.  
  
"Mission accomplished Skywarp. I have some lovely information for Megatron, information which could finally rid us of Galvatron and even the Autobots!"  
  
Skywarp chuckled, then spoke aloud.  
  
"Astrotrain! Get us out of here! Low and fast!"  
  
The hatch sealed and as the train started down the track, he stretched his passive sensors to their limits, to ensure Galvatron didn't detect him.  
  
"Hang on Skywarp, Ravage. We'll be back with the others in no time!"  
  
Astrotrain picked up speed, and transformed into his space shuttle form. Keeping low to the ground until he was out of range of the scanners of any of Galvatron's and Acousia's, he lifted off into the sky, heading back to Washington. Inside Ravage, was information that was going to change the course of the war with the Autobots, and shift the balance of power from Galvatron, back to Megatron.  
  
Where the power belonged.

--------------------------------------------------------------  
**_End Book Three._**

**--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
_Death's Head -_** I apologise about the rather extreme lateness in an update to this story. I've been busy with a lot of other projects at the moment, and unfortunately, I had to let this one sit idle for some time.  
  
Now, I have a feeling a defense of my actions in this story may be needed, seeing as how much destruction occurs in this, the last chapter, I needed something short of a cataclysm. Therefore, having the Decepticons do what comes naturally to them seemed the most logical way to go.  
  
I have ideas for book four, hell, I've even started writing book four, but at this stage I don't know when I should post it, if ever. To all my readers here, please let me know what you think of this chapter, and if you want to find out what happens to the Earth and such in book four, let me know.  
  
The reason I'm stating this? Well, I've been considering stopping all of my Transformers Generation One fiction, and focus mainly on the other stories I have here, some of which have been on hold for just over a year. But like I said above, if you like these stories I've written, and want to see more, please let me know.  
  
A little bit of info for you old school Marvel US comic Transformers fans : Buster Witwicky, G.P. Blackrock, Circuit Breaker and the Roadjammers are all slated to appear in book four, currently titled as Transformers : Book Four : Requiem for the Earth.  
  
Anyways, please R&R.  
  
Thank you,  
  
Death's Head, Saturday, May 08, 2004.


End file.
